News
The Book Institute and the Polish Institute in Madrid participated in the Liber International Book Fair in Barcelona, which ran from 5 to 7 October. Organised for 40 years alternately in Barcelona and Madrid, the event is aimed at publishers, agents, and booksellers, and is intended to promote reading in Spain.
The Polish stand was visited on Friday by the Polish ambassador in Madrid, Anna Sroka, and the Consul General in Barcelona, Karolina Cemka.
The aim of the Book Institute, as the main organiser of the Polish stand, is to get the Spanish reader interested in Polish literature and to encourage publishers to translate and publish Polish books. The current participation in the fair was a preparation for next year's fair, at which Poland will be the guest of honour.
"We meet with publishers and introduce them to our programmes, show them new books from the 'New Books from Poland' catalogue, with a wide range of genres," deputy director of the Book Institute, Prof Krzysztof Koehler, told Polish Press Agency (PAP). “This is an important and necessary visit that will help us to be better prepared for the fair next year."
To this end, there were presentations of Book Institute programmes, including a translation programme, and on Friday, Spanish publishers were treated to presentations on noteworthy books from Poland.
"Polish literature is rather little known in Spain," noted Gabriela Słowinska, director of the Polish Institute, in an interview with PAP. "Through the fair, we want to reach a wider audience, to generate interest in our literature and, in this way, in Poland and its history."
”Spanish publishers have long been interested in beautifully illustrated Polish children's literature in particular, but we want to encourage them to publish more in other genres,” she added. The Polish stand showcased historical and political publications as well as children's books.
According to the Consul General in Barcelona, Karolina Cemka, the fair space, including the Polish stand, was visited by crowds of readers, and not only Spanish publishers, but also Latin American publishers present at the fair were interested in Polish literature. This year's guest of honour at the fair was Colombia.
Source: Polish Press Agency (PAP), Grażyna Opińska