The inaugural Helsinki Book Fair was held in 2001. Over the years, it has become one of the largest trade fairs in Finland. As of 2015, it attracted about 80,000 visitors from all over the country and abroad. The event is organized by the Finnish Fair Corporation in cooperation with the Finnish Book Publishers Association and the country’s largest bookshop chain Suomalainen Kirjakauppa.
The Helsinki Book Fair is the ideal meeting place for avid book readers, book collectors, students, teachers, librarians, publishers, booksellers and authors from Finland and abroad. Over 300 exhibitors offer a wide array of books, comic books, magazines, antique books, digital audiobooks, maps, calendars, greeting cards and more. Visitors get a great chance to be the first to purchase and read new books by Finnish authors as well as Finnish translations of international bestsellers.
Of course, a good trade fair for books can’t do without meet & greets with authors and book signings. The organizers of the Helsinki Book Fair invite about forty popular authors from over twenty countries every year. Among other events and activities hosted by the fair there are contests and competitions, seminars, presentations, lectures, conferences, readings, children’s programs and more.
From 2009 onwards, each fair features a special guest. Every year, a certain country or region is invited as the guest of honor. The previous guests of the fair include Sweden, France, Estonia, Hungary, Germany, Italy, Russia, and the Nordic countries. The program of the Helsinki Book Fair features special events and activities dedicated to the literature and culture of the guest country.
Photo: Nordicomics program
