The Turin International Book Fair was created by entrepreneur Guido Accornero and bookseller Angelo Pezzana. The inaugural fair opened on May 18, 1988 in the Teatro Regio. The guest of honor was Nobel laureate Joseph Brodsky, a Russian and American poet and essayist. The event was an immediate success, it attracted about 100,000 attendees.
Over the years, the Turin International Book Fair has grown to become Italy’s largest trade fair for books as well as one of major book events in Europe. The event is held at Lingotto Fiere, a large exhibition, conference and commercial center that used to be a Fiat plant. It features over 1,400 exhibitors from around the world and more than 2,000 authors, translators, illustrators and other guests.
The Turin International Book Fair is a three-in-one event; it is a well-balanced combination of a giant bookshop, a commercial showcase, and a cultural festival. As the biggest bookshop in Italy, it showcases an impressive selection of books from different countries. The trade fair features small, mid-range and large publishers as well as antique booksellers.
As a cultural festival, it offers a rich and diverse program of more than 1,000 events such as meetings, debates, conferences, and shows featuring renowned authors, artists, historians, philosophers, journalists, and scientists from all over the world. One of the fair’s main highlights is Bookstock Village, a special area for children and young adults packed with interactive events. Finally, as a commercial event, the fair hosts the International Book Forum for trade professionals. It’s a great platform for exchanging publishing and translating rights.
Since 2001, each installment of the Turin Book Fair has featured a Guest of Honor – a country or region whose literature, publishing industry and culture are heavily featured in the programming. Past Guests of Honor include the Netherlands and Flanders, Catalonia, Switzerland, Canada, Greece, Portugal, Brazil, Lithuania, Israel, Egypt, India, Russia, Spain, Romania, China, Germany, Chile, Vatican City, the Arab states, etc.
Photo: Salone Internazionale del Libro
