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We warmly invite you to a meeting with author Keumhee Kim, whose book The Diary of a Korean Plant Parent will have its Polish premiere at the Katowice Book Fair!

Keumhee Kim made her literary debut in 2009 by winning the Hankook Ilbo’s Annual Spring Literary Contest. She is the author of many books, including the short-story collections Sentimentality Works Only for a Day or Two, Too Bright Outside for Love, Only One Person’s Possession, and We’re from Pepperoni, the full-length novel Kyungae’s Heart, Dear Bokja, The Greenhouse Repair Report, and First Summer, Wanju, the novella Maegi, My Love, the linked stories Christmas Tile, the short-story I Will Think About That for a Very Long Time, the collection of essays Every Word but Love, The Diary of a Korean Plant Parent, and My Polar Journal. She has been the recipient of many awards, including the Shin Dong-yup Prize for Literature, the Munhakdongne Young Writers’ Award, the Contemporary Literature Prize, Woohyun Award for Art, the Kim Seung-ok Literary Award, and Today’s Young Artist Awards.

Moderation: Marta Sudnik-Paluch

Translation: Changil You

Wydawnictwo W.A.B. and the Korean Cultural Center invite you to this event.

In response to the great interest shown in Changil You’s lecture at the Warsaw International Book Fair in May, we warmly invite you to another lecture, which will take place on Saturday, 8 November at 4 p.m. on the Main Stage of the Katowice Book Fair!

Dr Chang Il You – a linguist from the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Silesia in Katowice, head of the Centre for Korean Language and Culture at the University of Silesia, and head of the Poland–South Korea Cooperation Centre at the same university. He is also affiliated with the University’s Academy of Diplomacy. The researcher comes from South Korea, but has lived in Poland for many years and studies linguistic politeness. In addition to his university work, he also serves as a guide at the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum and as a consular assistant for Upper Silesia at the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Warsaw.

The lecture will be held in Polish.

The Korean Cultural Center invites you to this event.

Events at the Katowice Book Fair will cover a variety of topics at the intersection of science and the humanities – from a lecture by Dr. Changil You on Korean-Polish relations to meetings on the history of Upper Silesia, organized by Wydawnictwo Naukowe „Śląsk”, Instytut Pamięci Narodowej i Bibliotekę Śląską.

This edition will also feature meetings dedicated to non-fiction, reportage, and history. Authors who will present their latest books include: Dariusz Kortko & Judyta Watoła („Zembala. Szpital to ja”), Agata Listoś-Kostrzewa („Ballada o śpiącym lwie”), Michał Bulsa („Bytom, którego nie ma”), and Sebastian Rosenbaum & Bogusław Tracz („Punkt zwrotny. Rok 1945 na Górnym Śląsku”).

Regional themes will also be present – the Silesian Program will include discussions about the identity and history of the region, including mining, language, culture, and the memory of places that have disappeared from the map.

For fans of genre literature, the Crime Zone will offer meetings with leading crime writers, including Robert Małecki, Ewa Przydryga, Marta Matyszczak, Maciej Siembieda, Ryszard Ćwirlej, Marek Zgajewski, and Jędrzej Pasierski.

The event will also have an international dimension. Authors from Czechia and South Korea will visit Katowice. Guests include Karin Lednická – a renowned Czech author of the bestselling “Šikmý kostel” (“Crooked Church”) series, a timeless story of the Polish-Czech borderland in Silesia (published by Znak Horyzont), as well as Keumhee Kim – an acclaimed Korean writer, author of The Diary of a Korean Plant Parent”. The meeting with Keumhee Kim will also feature Dr. Changil You, and is co-organized by the Korean Cultural Center and Wydawnictwo W.A.B.

Special guests will also include Agata Passent, Wojciech Śmieja, Tomasz Stawiszyński, Jarosław Kuisz, and Ryszard Kaczmarek, who will take the audience on an intellectual journey through literature, philosophy, and contemporary public debate.

We warmly invite you!

A key event will be the WORDPOWER Festival – an invitation to discuss Polish and Ukrainian contemporary literature, focusing on books and works that inspire reflection on the fragility of existence in times of threat. The festival aims to raise awareness and remind us of values such as freedom, dignity, honor, courage, and solidarity – so important in times of ongoing war just beyond our eastern border.

As part of the festival, there will be a meeting devoted to “House of Salt” by Svitlana Taratorina – a post-apocalyptic story inspired by Crimean myths and memory (Sunday, November 9^th at 11:00, Forum C), as well as a conversation titled “Writing After Loss” with Sofia Cheliak and Ryszard Kupidura, about literature and journalism during wartime, the responsibility of the author, and the power of words in the face of violence (Sunday, November 9^th at 13:00, Forum C).

You are warmly invited!

At the fair stands, publishers from all over Poland will present their offerings – from the largest publishing houses to small, independent presses. In one place, visitors will find new releases, bestsellers, unique publications, as well as exclusive deals, and premiere titles straight from the publishers. Publishers who have confirmed their participation include:
Agora, Akapit Press, Alma-Press, Czwarta Strona, Grupa Wydawnicza Filia, Helion, BeYA, Insignis, Instytut Wydawniczy Znak, Krytyka Polityczna, Księży Młyn Dom Wydawniczy, Publicat, Oficyna Naukowa, Oficyna Wydawnicza Silver, Sonia Draga, timof comics, Wydawnictwo Amaltea, Wydawnictwo BoSz, Wydawnictwo Claroscuro, Wydawnictwo Debit, Wydawnictwo Dowody, Wydawnictwo Jedność, Wydawnictwo Kameleon, Wydawnictwo Kobiece, Wydawnictwo Literackie, Wydawnictwo Ostrogi, Wydawnictwo Otwarte, Wydawnictwo Poznańskie, Wydawnictwo Replika, Wydawnictwo SQN, „Śląsk” Wydawnictwo Naukowe, Wydawnictwo Vectra, Wydawnictwo Vesper, as well as antiquarian bookstores and comic publishers.

Katowice Book Fair is not just about presenting new publications – it’s also a space for exchanging ideas and experiences. Meetings, conversations, inspiring discussions, and creative discoveries await all book lovers – regardless of age or interests.

Once again, Katowice will become the capital of literature. During the Katowice Book Fair, which will take place on November 7-9^th, 2025, authors, publishers, scientists, and readers for whom books are more than just objects—they are spaces for dialogue, reflection, and inspiration—will come together.
This year’s program is filled with author meetings, discussions, panels, and conversations about literature, culture, science, and the modern world. Events will take place on four stages, providing space for diverse voices and topics.

The co-host city of the event is Katowice, and the organizer is the History and Culture Foundation.

The invited guests include, among others: Agnieszka Burton, Jakub Ćwiek, Ryszard Ćwirlej, Aneta Jadowska, Joanna Jax, Jarosław Juszkiewicz, Keumhee Kim, Magdalena Kordel, Dariusz Kortko & Judyta Watoła, Melka Koval, Marek Krajewski, Karin Lednická, Magdalena Majcher, Jakub Małecki, Robert Małecki, Marta Matyszczak, Marcel Moss, Remigiusz Mróz, Jędrzej Pasierski, PigOut & Przemek Corso, Ewa Przydryga, Zbigniew Rokita, Przemysław Rudzki, Maciej Siembieda, Rafał Skąpski, Beata Skrzypczak, Małgorzata Oliwia Sobczak, Dariusz Szpakowski, Sabina Waszut, Karolina Wilczyńska, Changil You, Michał Zgajewski, Przemysław Żarski, and Jakub Żulczyk.

The main themes of this year’s edition include contemporary literature, regional history, and crime literature.

A special part of the program is the Science Encounters series, organized in cooperation with universities and scientific institutions. Guests will tackle questions such as whether artificial intelligence helps or hinders the creation of new worlds, whether AI will replace writers, and will also discuss microhistory and digital humanities. Among the participants are Prof. Michał Kłosiński, Dr. Monika Karwacka, and Prof. Jan Malicki.

International Congress Center in Katowice
Pl. Sławika i Antalla 1

Opening hours:

November 7^th | 11:00–19:00
November 8^th | 10:00–19:00
November 9^th | 10:00–17:00

“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.