The first Book Land festival took place in April 2024 and quickly became one of the most talked about events in the Ukrainian book community. Since then, it has been held twice a year, in April and September, bringing together publishers, authors, translators, editors, guest speakers, and book lovers from across the country. Book Land’s main goal is to popularize reading and make it accessible to all.
Book Land offers a rich and diverse program for visitors of all ages and backgrounds. It includes literary readings and performances, presentations, arts and crafts workshops, discussions, talks, meetings and Q&A sessions with authors and translators, book signings, lectures, quests, and more. The festival also features a massive book fair with more than 100 Ukrainian publishers and bookstores offering new releases and merchandise. There is also a food court and a chill-out zone where readers can relax and start reading the books they just bought.
One of the festival’s highlights is the Book Bloggers’ Award ceremony. The award’s main goal is to recognize the book that received the most attention from Ukrainian bloggers and readers after being published in Ukraine during the past year. The award does not recognize publishers, authors, or translators, but rather the book itself as a phenomenon. The best Ukrainian book is announced at the spring festival edition, and the best translated book is announced at the fall festival edition.
Nominees and winners are selected in three stages. First, the jury, which consists of Ukrainian bloggers, creates the long list. Each jury member can propose three books for the list. Next, readers vote for their favorite books. The five books with the most votes make up the shortlist. From this shortlist, jury members vote to select the winner.
Book Land is usually held over four days, from Thursday to Sunday. Most of the main events take place on the weekend, so Thursday and Friday are the best days to visit the book fair and avoid large crowds. The fair occupies the entire central square and the first pavilion of the Expocenter of Ukraine. In addition to publishers and bookstores, the it features charities that organize various fundraisers.
The festival program is published in advance on the official website and can be downloaded as a PDF. Any changes to the schedule are updated online immediately. Since multiple events take place at different locations at the same time, the organizers recommend choosing the events you’re most interested in and making a plan in advance. They also recommend wearing comfortable shoes because the expocenter is quite large, and bringing shopping bags because you’re likely to buy more books than planned. Admission to Book Land and all events is free, allowing attendees to save money for books, merchandise, charitable donations, and food.
Photo: book.vdng.ua
