The Brussels Book Fair was founded in 1969. It features publishing houses from around the world but its main focus is French-language publishing. At the Brussels Book Fair, publishers from France, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Quebec can meet their French-speaking colleagues from Belgium in order to exchange experiences and establish contacts. The fair is regarded as one of the most significant cultural events in the Francophone world.
Over the years, the Brussels Book Fair has become one of the largest events of its kind. It features about 1,400 publishers as well as authors, illustrators, book critics, booksellers and librarians from all over the world, attracting about 70,000 attendees every year.
Since 1998, each edition of the Brussels Book Fair has had a theme. Past themes have included The Book and Its Metamorphoses, Free as a Book, Vision of the Future, Nomad, Passion, Unexpected Dialogues, Angry Words, Crises and Creation, The World Belongs to Women, Sex, Books & Rock’n’Roll, and more. Since 2012, each edition of the fair has featured a guest of honor – a country or region brought to the forefront of the international pavilion. By the way, it doesn’t necessarily has to be francophone.
The Brussels Book Fair is more than just a book exhibition. Its program includes book signings, meetings with authors, presentations, workshops and masterclasses, round tables and lectures, readings, debates, and performances. The fair features eight rooms dedicated to meetings and debates. They are the Forum, the Agora, the Literary Pavilion, the Publishers’ Tribune, the J Corner, the Theater, the Imaginarium, and the Gourmet Palace.
Since 2007, the fair has been hosting the Premier Prize (Prix Première) award ceremony. The prize is awarded by RTBF, the public broadcasting organization of the French Community of Belgium. The competition is open to debut novels written in French and published during the eligibility period.
Photo: europics belgium by Marjan van der Heijden
