News
The second day of the LIBER Book Fair in Madrid, at which Poland acts as Guest of Honour, had an industry-specific focus. It included meetings between Spanish publishers and Polish publishers, as well as meetings with staff from the Book Institute, during which it was possible to obtain information about our programmes for translators and foreign publishers.
The Book Institute, in cooperation with the Polish Institute in Madrid, organised a stand and presentation of Poland as this year's Guest of Honour at the LIBER International Book Fair in Madrid. As part of the fair, we have prepared a series of meetings related, among other things, to the development of children's literature, reading programmes, or new technologies in the book market. Thanks to the cooperation with the Polish Institute, there were also accompanying events, through which participants could also learn about the non-literary cultural offer of our country.
The second day of the Polish presentation programme consisted entirely of individual meetings between Spanish publishers and Polish publishers and representatives of the Book Institute.
From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., visitors to the fair were able to talk individually with the Polish publishers present in Madrid about their offerings, specific books, or the possibility of acquiring rights to them. The Book Institute provided the translation of these talks from Spanish to Polish and Polish to Spanish.
Also from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., consultations were held with representatives of the Book Institute. Publishers and translators from Spanish-speaking countries were able to find out everything they need to know about the programmes we offer for them, including the ©POLAND Translation Programme, the Sample Translations programme, and the Translators' Collegium scholarship programme, as well as our awards for translators or the workshops we organise.
A Polish stand awaited visitors to the fair throughout the event, where they could meet representatives of the Polish publishing market - establish contacts and learn more about the offer. A stand with a total area of 120 m2 showcased 21 Polish exhibitors from the industry, including publishing houses, literary agencies, printing houses, cultural institutions, and other entities related to the Polish publishing market. Present in Madrid are: Adamada, ArtRage, BZGraf, the Centre for Contemporary Art "Znaki Czasu" in Toruń, Domirea, DTAgency, Grupa Wydawnicza Foksal, Fundacja Historia.pl, inkBOOK, the International Cultural Centre, Agencja KaBooks, Mamania / Grupa Wydawnicza Relacja, OZGraf, Papierowy Motyl, PKB GROT, Rosikon Press, Topo Sármata, Title, Wydawnictwo Kobiece, Wydawnictwo Literackie, and Wydawnictwo Poznańskie.
The main objective of Poland's presence as Guest of Honour at the LIBER Book Fair was to strengthen the presence of Polish literature in Spain. It was also an excellent opportunity to make new contacts in the Latin American market. It is worth noting that it is usually Latin American countries that are the guest of honour at LIBER, so the choice of Poland was a great recognition.
Participation as a Guest of Honour at LIBER is part of a strategy to strengthen the presence in foreign markets as part of a three-year cycle. Last year, the Book Institute took an active part in the Barcelona Fair, while further initiatives to consolidate the presence of Polish literature in Spain are planned for 2024.
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The project was co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage.
