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“The Literary Bridges 2024” is a project through which participants of the Katowice Book Fair will be able to attend meetings with authors and explore the wide book offer of Ukrainian publishers and independent Belarusian publishers.

In the Ukrainian Publishers’ Salon, a collective booth will showcase many publishers, with author meetings also scheduled on stages. The presentation is organized by the Embassy of Ukraine in Poland, the Ukrainian Book Institute, and the History and Culture Foundation. We invite to meet Halyna Tkaczuk, who will talk about Ukrainian literature for children and youth, and Yurii Vynnychuk, who will discuss his books “Mary’s Keys” and “Legends of Lviv” and their translation into Polish.

We also recommend exploring contemporary independent Belarusian literature or events featuring authors as part of the Independent Belarusian Publishers’ Salon. The Salon is co-organized by the Belarusian Book Institute and the History and Culture Foundation. This project will include two meetings: one with Andrei Khadanovich about “Belarus and the Specters of Wild Hunting,” and another with Sviatlana Kurs discussing the Polish edition of the Belarusian bestseller “Where Are You Going, Wolf?”

Task Title: “Literary Bridges 2024 – Ukrainian Publishers’ Salon and Independent Belarusian Publishers’ Salon at the Largest Book Fairs in Poland”
Project funded by the state budget as part of the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ competition ‘Public Diplomacy 2024’
Total funding: PLN 160,000

“Literary Bridges 2024” is a project that involves organizing the Ukrainian Publishers’ Salon and the Independent Belarusian Publishers’ Salon at the Warsaw International Book Fair from May 23-26, 2024, at the Palace of Culture and Science, and the Book Fair in Katowice from November 8-10, 2024, at the International Congress Center. The Salons’ program includes exhibition stands, accompanying events with the participation of publishers, authors, and literary community representatives, as well as promotional activities. The project aims to strengthen cooperation and dialogue in the areas of culture and literature, support democratic aspirations, and continues the participation of Ukraine as the Guest of Honour at the Warsaw International Book Fair in 2023 and Free Belarus as the Special Guest at the Katowice Book Fair in 2023.

The Katowice Book Fair will host meetings and discussions popularizing science from various fields, complemented by an exhibition area featuring booths from academic and scientific publishers from all over Poland.

The event block and exhibition sector called “The Science Encounters”, featuring academic publishers and a rich program, will be under the patronage and with involvement of Radio Katowice, the Silesian Museum and the Silesian Library. At The Katowice Science Encounters, known to the audience from last year’s Fair, academic publishers will present their offer, and in the Science Forum, prepared near the publishers’ sector, meetings promoting various fields of knowledge will take place over three days. Prominent scientists and enthusiasts will participate, including those representing different fields of knowledge e.g. history, physics, geology, and dendrology.

The Science Encounters program will feature discussions prepared in collaboration with the Polish Radio Katowice, including a conversation with Professor Ryszard Koziołek on organizing a home library on Friday, and discussions on how to read rocks, smuggling in interwar Silesia, the role of trees in human salvation, and how antimatter works, among other topics on Saturday and Sunday. The Silesian Museum invites you to meetings with Maciej Mischok, who will share the fascinating history of the Palace in Kopice, and with Professor Irma Kozina on the most interesting and recognizable examples of Upper Silesian architecture. Additionally, the Science Encounters program will include a series of events organized by the Institute of National Remembrance in Poland.

“The Science Encounters.” Project financed from state budget funds granted by the Minister of Education and Science under the “Social Responsibility of Science II – Popularization of Science” Program

On Friday, the first day of the Fair we invite to a children’s and youth program created especially for organized school groups. Among the meetings will be the premiere of “Kocia szajka” in Silesian, a meeting with Robb Maciąg about ” Książka o górach ” a discussion with Maciej Mischok, the Social Guardian of Monuments in Kopice, a meeting with Marcin Kruszewski about “Prawo Marcina” as well as workshops and a poetry competition organized by the Wolne Lektury (Free Reading) Foundation.

The Katowice Book Fair will also host the Y&NA Festival, which received great interest from young readers during its spring edition. In a specially designated Autograph Zone, the audience will be able to meet authors such as Joanna Balicka, Ula Borczuch, Jarek Gibas, Emilia Jachimczyk, Aleksandra Kondraciuk, Maria Krasowska, Julia Kubicka, Marta Łabęcka, Agata Moore, Aleksandra Muraszka, Izabella Nowaczyk, Kornelia Pierz, Weronika Płota, Agata Polte, Julia Popiel, Ludka Skrzydlewska, Katarzyna Wiśniewska, Anna Wolf, and Zuzanna Wólczyńska. On Saturday, there will be a meeting on the Main Stage with authors from Jaguar Publishing, who will share how young adult authors win the hearts of readers.

As part of the Silesian program, we invite you to the previously mentioned meeting with Agata Romaniuk about the premiere of “Kocia szajka i czarne złoto” in Silesian, translated by Barbara Szmatloch. The fair will also feature the premiere of Jan Czypionka’s photo album “Życie podejrzane,” a tender look at forgotten districts of Upper Silesian cities, and a meeting with Marcin Melon, who returns with a new commissioner, Hanusik, after 7 years. On Saturday, there will be a meeting on the Main Stage with Dariusz Kortko and Marcin Pietraszewski discussing “Kamraty. Historie z Klubu Wysokogórskiego w Katowicach”.  The Silesian program will also include meetings organized by the Silesian Library with Henryk Wańka and Monika Glosowitz, as well as a discussion panel organized by the Municipal Public Library in Katowice featuring four authors from the Silesian region – Żaneta Pawlik, Aleksandra Rak, Marzena Hryniszak, and Łukasz Szuster.

This year’s Katowice Book Fair will take place in an expanded format.

The rich program will feature (known from last year’s edition) The Science Encounters – a sector presenting academic and scientific publishers’ offer with a program of meetings and The Literary Bridges 2024 project, which includes Salons of Ukrainian Publishers and Independent Belarusian Publishers, as well as meetings with Ukrainian and Belarusian authors. A new addition to this year’s fair will be The Museum and Museum Book Salon, presenting the offer and achievements of Polish museums, with special emphasis on museums from Silesia.

A new feature of this year’s edition – The Museum and Museum Book Salon it is a zone dedicated to the achievements and books published by Polish museums, with a special focus on those from the Silesian region. In the collective exhibition booth, publications from Silesian museums will be available. Participating institutions include the “Upper Silesian Ethnographic Park in Chorzów,” the Museum in Tarnowskie Góry, the Saturn Museum in Czeladź, the Municipal Museum in Żory, the History Museum of Katowice, the Castle Museum in Pszczyna, the Metallurgy Museum in Chorzów, the Museum of Silesian Uprisings in Świętochłowice, Father E. Drobny Museum in Rybnik, the Museum of Cieszyn Silesia, the Museum in Bielsko-Biała, the Museum of the City of Jaworzno, The Maksymilian Chrobok Municipal Museum in Ruda Śląska, the Schoena Palace Museum in Sosnowiec, the Municipal Museum in Tychy, the Silesian Museum in Katowice, the Central Firefighting Museum in Siemianowice Śląskie, Sztygarka Municipal Museum in Dąbrowa Górnicza, Maksymilian Chrobok Municipal Museum in Ruda Śląska.

Moreover, the program will include educational museum lessons for young people and panel discussions for museum professionals as part of a professional exchange of experiences. To reach a wider audience, lessons and lectures will be recorded and available on the Foundation’s YouTube channel. The partner of The Museum and Museum Book Salon is the Polish Association of Museum Professionals, Silesian Branch, and the National Institute for Museums.

“The Museum and Museum Book Salon” at the Book Fair in Katowice is investment A2.5.1: Program supporting the activities of entities in the culture sector and creative industries to stimulate their development, implemented under the component: Resilience and competitiveness of the economy, carried out as part of the development plan (KPO).

The Katowice Book Fair 2024 exhibitors include: Agora, Agora for Children, Akapit Press, Claroscuro, Dom Wydawniczy Rebis, Egmont, Grupa Wydawnicza Filia, Grupa Wydawnicza Relacja, Helion, BeYA, Insignis, the Institute of National Remembrance in Poland, the Publishing Institute Znak, Jaguar, Kwiaty Orientu, Media Rodzina, Must Read, Muza, Oficyna Naukowa, Preston School & Publishing, Publicat, Oficyna Wydawnicza Silver, Sonia Draga, Tajfuny, timof comics, Wielka Litera, Wydawnictwo Afera, Wydawnictwo Amaltea, Wydawnictwo Arkady, Wydawnictwo Czarne, Wydawnictwo Debit, Wydawnictwo Dowody, Wydawnictwo Dwie Siostry, Wydawnictwo Kameleon, Wydawnictwo Kobiece, Wydawnictwo Literackie, Wydawnictwo Literatura, Wydawnictwo Magiczne, Wydawnictwo Marginesy, Wydawnictwo Mięta, Wydawnictwo Nasza Księgarnia, Wydawnictwo NieZwykłe, Wydawnictwo Nocą, Wydawnictwo Poznańskie, Wydawnictwo SQN, Wydawnictwo Śląsk, Wydawnictwo Vectra, Wydawnictwo Żwakowskie, as well as antiquarian bookshops, comic publishers, and the Comity of Niche Publishers. Publishers from Ukraine and independent Belarusian publishers will also be present.

For three days at the International Congress Center, author meetings, panels, and debates will take place on four stages simultaneously. This year, many well-known authors have announced their participation in the Katowice Book Fair, including: Katarzyna Bonda, Dorota Borodaj, Agnieszka Burton, Andrei Khadanovich, Joanna Chmura, Sylwia Chutnik, Ryszard Ćwirlej, Krzysztof Domaradzki, Tomasz Duszyński, Marta Fox, Ałbena Grabowska, Magdalena Grzebałkowska, Aneta Jadowska, Izabela Janiszewska, Mariusz Kędzierski, Magdalena Kordel, Barbara Kosmowska, Melka Kowal, Marek Krajewski, Marcin Kruszewski, Sviatlana Kurs, Roma Ligocka, Robb Maciąg, Aleksandra Maciejowska, Magdalena Majcher, Robert Małecki, Weronika Mathia, Katarzyna Berenika Miszczuk, Wojciech Orliński, Anna Podsiadło, Martyna Raduchowska, Agata Romaniuk, Maciej Siembieda, Martyna Skibińska, Leonie Swann, Marek Sygacz, Mariusz Szczygieł, Jarosław Szczyżowski, Halyna Tkaczuk, Anita Werner, Michał Kołodziejczyk, Ewa Winnicka, Yurii Vynnychuk, Marek Zgajewski, and Przemysław Żarski.

The Katowice Book Fair will take place from November 8-10. It’s worth planning a visit to the International Congress Center today, where you’ll have the opportunity to meet renowned authors, translators, and publishers from Poland and abroad, all in the festive atmosphere of a grand literary event. Katowice is a co-host city of the Fair, and the event is organized by the History and Culture Foundation.

Author meetings at the Katowice Book Fair will be held on several stages running simultaneously. You’ll be able to choose many proposals for the autumn and winter evenings from a wide selection of new releases and bestsellers in literary fiction, crime novels, non-fiction, fantasy, children’s and young adult books, as well as young and new adult literature, and comics.

As in the previous year, we invite guests to explore the “Meetings with Science” event block and exhibition sector during the Katowice Book Fair. At the publishers’ stands, you can buy academic and scientific publications, and for three days, the neighboring Science Forum will host events promoting various fields of knowledge. A new feature at the Katowice Book Fair will be the Salon of Museums and the Museum Books, with a dedicated program and exhibition space. The Fair will also feature publishers and authors from Ukraine, as well as independent publishers and authors from Belarus, as part of the “Literary Bridges 2024” project.

Publishers interested in participating in the Fair are encouraged to register through our system:

Our thanks go out to the great Publishers, Authors, Meeting Hosts, the wonderful Silesian Audience, and everyone who contributed to the success of this year’s edition. Over the course of three days, nearly 250 publishers and 200 authors participated, and the Fair welcomed more than 60,000 visitors. It is thanks to all of you that the Katowice Book Fair was a fantastic celebration for all book lovers.
Our deep gratitude goes to our Patrons and Partners. The Co-Host City of the Fair is Katowice, and the Special Guest was Free Belarus.

The Fair was held under the honorary patronage of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Mayor of Katowice, Marcin Krupa, and the Marshal of the Silesian Voivodeship, Jakub Chełstowski. Institutional patrons included the Silesian Library, the Polish Academy of Sciences Department in Katowice and the Association of University Presses.
Patrons: the Book Institute, the Municipal Public Library in Katowice, the Polish Book Publishers Association, the Polish Librarians Association, and the Polish Chamber of Books. Media patrons: Radio Katowice, Dziennik Zachodni, naszemiasto.pl, rynek-ksiazki.pl, Biblioteka Analiz, smakksiazki.pl, wydawca.com.pl, Radio Egida.
The event was sponsored by the Society of Authors ZAiKS and the W. L. Anczyc Printing House. We invite you to join us again at the Katowice Book Fair next year!

The 2023 Katowice Book Fair runs from November 3rd to 5th. Although the official opening took place on Friday at 1:00 PM, the International Congress Centre was already buzzing with life early in the morning.

“Nearly 250 exhibitors have come to Katowice, 200 distinguished authors will meet with readers, and 250 events are planned, including workshops, literary meetings, discussions, and attractions for children. It’s a true feast for book lovers!” said Jacek Oryl, Director of the Katowice Book Fair and Vice President of the History and Culture Foundation, the Fair’s organizer.

The special guest of this year’s Katowice Book Fair is Free Belarus, and a new feature at the fair is the event block and exhibition sector the Science Encounters.

Waldemar Bojarun, Deputy Mayor of Katowice, addressed the large audience: “I can’t hide the smile on my face as I open this fair. Those who know me understand that it is not just a pleasant duty and a great honor, but also a deep joy in my heart to open this book fair, which grows bigger each year. Another aspect that brings me great joy is the number of young people who come here to engage with books.”

A special video message from Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the leader of the Belarusian opposition, was then shown, prepared specifically for the Katowice Book Fair.

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya emphasized the importance of supporting independent Belarusian publishers and authors, but most importantly, the Belarusian people themselves. “A new wave of Russification is coming, and we must do everything in our power to preserve our native language. It’s crucial to talk about this, to open up to the world, and to see more translations from and into Belarusian. At a time when censorship and repression reign in Belarus, Poland is doing a lot to preserve Belarusian identity. The invitation to this fair is a sign of respect for Belarusians and Belarus as a country of free people, regardless of the regime in power. The book fair is not just an opportunity to shop, but also a chance to meet Belarusian authors and publishers. Today, the Belarusian publishing world faces the same challenge it did during the national revival in the early 20th century—to bring light. Books should save us from the darkness that Russians are trying so hard to immerse us in, forcing us to forget who we are. I have no doubt that we will overcome all difficulties. This struggle is not only for the freedom and independence of our country but also for recognition in the world. For freedom of speech, thought, and culture.”

Alina Koŭszyk, representative of the United Transitional Cabinet for the National Revival of Belarus, also spoke: “This is not the first time in our history that the Belarusian language has been forced to emigrate beyond Belarus’s borders. During the ban on the Belarusian language in Tsarist Russia, the iconic ‘Belarusian Dudka’ by Franciszek Bahuszewicz was published in Krakow in 1891, and his ‘Belarusian Smyk’ three years later in Poznan. The free development of our national culture is only possible in the conditions of an independent and democratic state. This New Belarus is the shared goal of our political and cultural actions. And I believe that every act of solidarity, every work in which we tell the world about Belarus, brings us closer to victory. That’s why I want to thank our Polish friends for their solidarity and the extensive support they give to our culture. For example, this stand at the fair or the translations of Polish literary classics into Belarusian, supported by the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Poles have welcomed our creators as equals, as brothers and sisters, giving them the opportunity to continue developing their talents. We, in the United Transitional Cabinet, are doing everything we can to remind our partners of the need to continue supporting Belarusian culture through scholarships, creative residencies, and other programs for our creators.”

She added: “Before I leave, I want to ask you: What do you personally know about Belarus? Have you had the chance to visit it? How often do you read news from my country? Have you encountered our culture? We Belarusians often have to explain why we have tolerated a dictator for 30 years and still haven’t overthrown him. To understand a people and a country, you must read their books. So, I wish you an exciting journey to my homeland. A journey through books into the Belarusian heart. Long live Belarusian books! Long live Belarus!”

The Silesian Library is the knowledge partner of the fair. Its director, Artur Madaliński, assured that his institution supports every event, “especially such a spectacular one,” that revolves around books, reading, and literature. He invited everyone to the meetings organized by the Silesian Library at the fair.

Sonia Draga, President of the Polish Chamber of Books, referred to Alina Koŭszyk’s speech: “I feel a sense of unease as I follow international events in recent years. The presence of our special guest shows that there are still nations fighting for independence, struggling to break free from a dictator’s grip, while the world either cannot or, worse, does not want to help them. That’s why the role of us publishers and organizers of such events is so important—to give a voice to those who bear witness to the truth of these events. In the fight for independence, it’s not just military matters that are important—information and knowledge are just as crucial. If crimes and terror are documented, then not only media representatives but also publishers can help spread the truth. And here’s an appeal to institutions to remember to provide financial support for such initiatives. I also appeal to publishers and the media to bear witness to the truth, and to readers, not to remain indifferent to the evils of today.”

Author meetings at the Katowice Book Fair will be held on five simultaneously operating stages, with one dedicated to the the Science Encounter and another for meetings with authors from Free Belarus.

This year’s edition will host distinguished authors whose books regularly appear on bestseller lists. Some of the guests include Prof. Jerzy Bralczyk, Szczepan Twardoch, Natalia de Barbaro, Jacek Bartosiak, Katarzyna Bonda, Zbigniew Rokita, Joanna Flis, Aneta Jadowska, Grzegorz Kapla, Katarzyna Kobylarczyk, Rafał Kosik, Barbara Kosmowska, Magdalena Majcher, Robert Małecki, Mikołaj Marcela, Katarzyna Berenika Miszczuk, Radek Rak, Maciej Siembieda, Wit Szostak, Jacek Tacik, Michał Witkowski, and Sylwia Zientek.

For autumn and winter evenings, you will be able to choose from a wide selection of new releases and bestsellers in fiction, crime novels, nonfiction, children’s and young adult literature, as well as comics. The presence of antiquarian bookstores will also allow you to add older titles to your collection.

Check the fair’s website for program details and the list of exhibitors!

The Special Guest of the Katowice Book Fair is Free Belarus. Independent Belarusian publishers will present their publications at a 60-square-meter stand, offering original contemporary Belarusian literature, historical books, children’s literature, as well as translations of world classics and the latest bestsellers into Belarusian. Among them will be publishers such as: ARCHE, Kamunikat.org Foundation, Gutenberg Publisher, Januszkiewicz, Raman Tsymberau/Skarynyčy, Skaryna Press, Słowianka, and Vesna. The publishing offer is accompanied by a three-day event program. Adjacent to the stand, at Forum D, there will be meetings with authors, including Vladimir Neklyaev and Sasha Filipenko, discussions on the future of Belarusian books, and presentations of translations of Belarusian books into Polish. The Belarusian Book Institute will kick off Free Belarus’ block of events at the fair with the presentation of the book Aleś, dedicated to Ales Bialiatski, a political prisoner, Nobel Prize laureate, and other authors who are also political prisoners.

The participation of Free Belarus at the Katowice Book Fair is organized by the Representation for National Revival of the United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus, the Belarusian Book Institute, and the History and Culture Foundation.

We invite you to explore the program of the Special Guest – Free Belarus. The project was co-financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Poland

and also received support from the Juliusz Mieroszewski Dialogue Center as part of the First Open Competition for funding initiatives aimed at dialogue and understanding between Poles and the nations of Eastern Europe.