The Warsaw International Book Fair began on May 15 and runs until May 18. This year’s Guest of Honour is South Korea.
Ukraine is once again taking part with a national stand and cultural program, both organized by the Ukrainian Book Institute. The stand features books from 25 Ukrainian publishers, showcases Polish translations of Ukrainian titles, and offers a space to meet authors and cultural figures.
On the first day of the Fair, the Ukrainian stand was visited by Vasyl Bodnar, Ambassador of Ukraine to Poland, and Hanna Wróblewska, Minister of Culture and National Heritage of Poland.
“Today we speak about the power of words — the strength that comes not only from our writers and publishers, but also from our soldiers and leaders. Words are especially important now. I want everyone to feel the presence of a country at war, here in Warsaw — a city that has helped millions of Ukrainians survive, stay strong, and support their homeland”, – said Vasyl Bodnar at the opening.
The Ukrainian program includes talks with authors, book presentations, and discussions. Among the participants are Iia Kiva, Marichka Paplauskaite, Tomasz Szerszeń, Tania Stus, Karina Savaryna, Olena Huseinova, Aneta Kamińska, Krzysztof Czyżewski, and Yulia Vus.
“Book fairs are places where people connect — readers with new stories, authors with translators, publishers with cultural leaders. It’s where new partnerships start and ideas grow into real projects. The Ukrainian Book Institute is here to support that creative exchange”, said Tetiana Petrenko, a curator of the Ukrainian program.
The program opened with a panel discussion called “The Ukrainian Language in Poland: Integration, Identity, and Cultural Continuity”, organized together with the Institute of Slavic Studies at the Polish Academy of Sciences. Speakers included linguist Pavlo Levchuk, Oleksandr Pustovyi from the Warsaw Saturday School, Vasyl Melnychuk from the Ukrainian Embassy in Poland, and Tetiana Petrenko from the Ukrainian Book Institute. The discussion was moderated by Jana Stempniewicz, a journalist from Polish Radio for Ukraine.
You can visit the Ukrainian stand in the Marble Hall, booth No. 136.
Entry to the fair is free.
Full event program available [here].
Partners: The Ministry of Culture and Strategic Communications of Ukraine, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Book Institute, the Embassy of Ukraine in Poland, Międzynarodowe Targi Książki w Warszawie, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Poland, Fundacja Historia i Kultura, the Mieroszewski Center, the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage of Poland, and the Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery.
Photo by Tetiana Petrenko, W. Nylec
