Lviv BookForum (Lviv International Book Fair)

Lviv Book Forum, also known as the Lviv International Book Fair, is an annual book fair organized by the Lviv Publishers’ Forum. Founded in 1994, it is held in the Ukrainian city of Lviv each fall. Lviv BookForum is the largest book fair in Ukraine and one of the largest events of its kind in Eastern Europe.

Lviv BookForum was founded as the Lviv Publishers’ Forum by Oleksandra Koval. She wanted to create a platform where publishing industry professionals and book lovers would be able to meet and exchange ideas and experiences. The inaugural Forum was held in September 1994. Its program included a book fair and 25 events for the general public and industry professionals, from book presentations to meetings with authors and book signings.

In 1997, the Lviv Publishers’ Forum split into two separate events, the Lviv Literature Festival and the Lviv Book Fair. Both events are organized by the Publishers’ Forum and take place at the same time, but each has its own programming. In 2007, the Publishers’ Forum launched the Business Forum. Since 2010, it has also hosted Biblioforum, a professional program for librarians. In 2018, the event was rebranded as Lviv BookForum.

As we’ve already mentioned above, Lviv BookForum is the largest event of its kind in Ukraine as well as one of the most important cultural events in the city of Lviv. Its representatives regularly participate in international book fairs in Warsaw, Frankfurt, Leipzig, Vilnius, and other cities.

Along with the fair itself, its program includes literary contests, presentations, meetings with authors, book signings, readings, discussions, performances, special events for children, industry events, and more. All major Ukrainian publishers participate in Lviv BookForum as exhibitors and showcase their new books, some of which have been printed specifically for the event.

Since 1995, the Forum has presented the Best Book of the Forum Award. The competition is open to new books by Ukrainian publishers. A professional jury chooses winners a day before the opening of the fair. The award ceremony takes place on the first day of Lviv BookForum.

Meetings with Ukrainian and international authors are among the main highlights of the event. Past special guests at the Fair have included Paulo Coelho, Oksana Zabuzhko, Ivan Dzyuba, Roman Viktyuk, Jostein Gaarder, Janusz Leon Wiśniewski, Erlend Loe, DBC Pierre, Zygmunt Bauman, and many others.