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Even though the buds have not yet opened into leaves, we already have the first signs of literary spring here in Krakow – UNESCO City of Literature. On the 22nd and 23rd of April, on World Book and Copyright Day, the Krakow Book Fair will take place in Marii Magdaleny Square. As always, the cosy marketplace will attract the antiquarians and booksellers from Krakow and the entire region.
The participants will be able to participate in workshops, lectures, bookbinding demonstrations, we will also offer coffee and snacks. The Cervantes Institute, as well as book stores and libraries from Krakow and Małopolska will also prepare their attractions for the most literary weekend of this spring. Come and join us!
ATTENTION: Due to the bad weather forecast The Krakow Book Fair will take place in Wyspiański Pavillion (Wszystkich Świętych 2 Square).
The Krakow Book Fair is a regular, open-air event, promoting the idea of trading used book and reminding everyone that a good book does not have an expiration date. This year, we have planned four editions of the Fair! On the 22nd and 23rd of April, from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. we are going to see the offerings of Abecadło, Hulaj Pole, Suszek, 451 stopni and Świat w Tunelu, Fankomiks comic book store, Szafa Pełna Książek from Podgórze, as well as booksellers known from the Sunday mornings at the Market Hall.
The programme of the April fair will be complemented by meetings, demonstrations and workshops – the participants will learn how to operate a mimeograph used for copying opposition press in the 1980s, and how to bind artistic Rebook notebooks. We will also offer a comic book drawing workshop, the staff of Księgarnia pod Globusem book store will read fairy tales to the youngest participants, while the older ones will be able to attend an interesting lecture about post-war messianic literature and a special walk around the Krakow antique book stores, led by Grzegorz Nieć from the Pedagogical University.
Since the 23rd and 24th of April will also bring the 16th Book and Rose Malopolska Book Days, the Voivodeship Public Library in Krakow will also invite the participants to their stand. Celebrating the Cervantes Award – dubbed the “Spanish Nobel Prize” – being handed out to Eduardo Mendoza, the nearby Cervantes Institute will also hold an open day on Sunday, 23rd of April. At the fair, the visitors will also be able to drink coffee from the stylish Italian Kavke Cafe car, as well as eat some hummus Amamamusi and roasted chestnuts sold by Pan Kasztan
An intense programme is prepared by Krakow’s book stores for the World Book Day. Many events were planned for the national Independent Bookstore Weekend by Księgarnia Pod Globusem and Pod Szesnastką, Lokator, De Revolutionibus Books & Café, Bonobo Księgarnia Kawiarnia Podróżnicza and many more. The Independent Bookstore Weekend is a grassroots initiative started by book sellers, which will take place in 20 Polish cities this year. On the second half of April we are also going to see the launches of cultural projects carried out as part of the first municipal programme aimed at supporting cultural activities at book stores.
More details will be announced soon.
Krakow Book Fair
programme of events in Wyspiański Pavillion
22nd of April (Saturday)
1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. – Printing some illegal papers! The demonstration of mimeograph will be conducted by Leszek Jaranowski, opposition activist in the 1980s.
12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. – a walk around book stores. Discover Szpitalna – the book street, as well as other interesting places on the literary map of Krakow… and the people who run these places. The walk will be led by Grzegorz Nieć from the Pedagogical University. Mandatory registration: spacery@miastoliteratury.pl, the point of assembly will be provided in a reply to the registration. The number of participants is limited.
3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m. – “Save Poland, resurrect the world” – a lecture on post-war messianism. Do you think that “40 and 4” was awaited only by the generation contemporary to Adam Mickiewicz? You could not be more wrong! The unknown face of the post-war emigration literature will be discussed by Paweł Chojnacki, historian and philosopher.
23rd of April (Sunday)
12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Fairy Tales. We are reading fairy tales with book sellers!
2:00 p.m. – 4:00 p.m. – open comic book drawing workshop. The workshop will be conducted by Michał Jankowski – originator and coordinator of the Małopolska Comic Book Studio. Admission is free upon registration at the Fair.
4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. – book-binding demonstration. Binding Rebooks – hand-made, artistic notebooks with covers from old books. The participants will be able to purchase the notebooks.
NOTE: These are not all of the attractions planned for this special weekend – stay tuned for more surprises in our communication channels. More details soon!
Read more about the Independent Bookstore Weekend: here.
The 16th Book and Rose Małopolska Book Days: here.