Thessaloniki becomes a meeting place for Greek and international authors, playwrights, illustrators, translators, and screenwriters. The Thessaloniki International Book Fair serves as a platform for all voices, from everywhere, to be heard in an exciting dialogue of cultures that promotes peaceful coexistence, freedom of expression, mutual respect, and diversity of opinion.

Among the international authors, we will have the opportunity to meet Dominic Amerena, one of the most promising new voices in Australian literature, who will present his award-winning debut, *I Want It All* (published by Gennitria). The internationally renowned Cuban poet Víctor Rodríguez Núñez, whose work is being translated into Greek for the first time with his poetry anthology “Wild Algebra” (published by Eirini). Icelandic poet Haukur Ingvarsson and Basque poet Tere Irastortza Garmendia, who will participate in discussions on the Perspectives of Scandinavian & Nordic Poetry and on Contemporary Spanish-Language Poetry, respectively (published by Shakespeareon). The internationally renowned Palestinian poet Najwan Darwish, who will present the bilingual edition of his book “Every Time I Approach a Storm” (published by Kyverti).

Iranian-Swedish author Athena Farrokhzad and Greek-Swedish translator and author Antonis Bogadakis will present their books “Τhe Year of the Donkey” and “The Walk of the Trees”. Joining them will be Greek poet Petros Isaakidis, who lives in Cape Town, and will speak about his book “Volcanoed / Erupted” (published by Thraka).

Award-winning authors Evald Flisar and Sarai Shavit are visiting Thessaloniki to present their Greek editions: the novels “Alice in Monsterland” and “Look Out the Window,” and the poetic novel “Figures of Speech,” respectively (published by Vachikon), with the support of Creative Europe and the Slovenian Embassy in Athens.

Dato Magradze, one of Georgia’s most prominent poets, a nominee for the 2011 Nobel Prize in Literature, and the lyricist of his country’s national anthem, will present his poetry collection “The Fertile” (published by Entypos), while Virgjil Muçi, one of Albania’s most dynamic literary voices, will introduce us to “The Princess of the Moon” (published by Eurasia). Also present at the exhibition will be Adnan Özer and Cenk Gündoğdu (published by Govostis), two of the most important poets of contemporary Turkish literature, who will participate in a discussion on “Poets Inside and Outside of War.”

Tudor Dinu, professor of Modern Greek Studies at the University of Bucharest, Tudor Dinu (published by Akritas) is coming to Thessaloniki at the invitation of the Romanian Ministry of Culture, while Miha Kovač, a professor at the University of Ljubljana and author, will present his essay “I Read, Therefore I Am. Ten Reasons to Read Books in the Digital Age” (published by To Melon) on the subject of reading, while the University of Crete Press invites Robert Hayden, Professor Emeritus in the Department of Anthropology, University of Pittsburgh, to present his book “From Yugoslavia to the Western Balkans: Studies of a European Disintegration, 1991–2011.”

Sandrone Dazieri, one of the most prominent contemporary figures in European crime fiction, is coming to Thessaloniki at the invitation of the Italian Cultural Institute of Athens. An author, screenwriter, and journalist, he has achieved international success with the “Colomba Caselli” trilogy, the first title of which is “Kill the Father,” while as a screenwriter and head writer he has worked on several highly successful television series.

As a guest of the Goethe-Institut and the Heinrich Böll Foundation in Thessaloniki, Valentin Groebner presents his book ”Retroland” (published by Lembos), taking us on a journey to places where time seems to have stood still and exploring how “historical tourism” came to be.

The Goethe-Institut Thessaloniki is bringing to the fair best-selling author Carsten Henn with his tender, book-loving novel ”The Book Postman” (published by Metaixmio), as well as Leif Randt with his novel “Allegro Pastell” (published by Elkystis), considered one of the most characteristic romantic novels of the Millennials.

The French Institute of Thessaloniki welcomes Algerian writer Kaouther Adimi, author of ”With a Bad Wind” (published by Polis), a sweeping portrait of Algeria spanning nearly a century, from colonization through the struggle for independence, up to 1992, when the country plunged into civil war. The Embassy of the Republic of Poland introduces us to Urszula Honek, the distinguished Polish author and winner of the Grand Prix at the Rainer Maria Rilke poetry competition, who is coming with the short story collection “White Nights,” which earned her a place on the shortlist for the 2024 International Booker Prize.

Poet Marija Dejanović from Croatia, cultural manager, translator, and editor Alexandra Büchler from Wales, and poet Ondřej Lipár from the Czech Republic, will compare the national policies of different countries regarding writers and discuss how they can learn from each other’s experiences in a Writers’ Network discussion.

International Authors in the Program for Children and Teens

Swedish authors Camilla and Erica Hindborg, with support from Creative Europe (Trans-European Journeys) and the Swedish Arts Council, will present the Greek edition of their book ”The Sea’s Underwear” (published by Vachikon), which has won the environmental award from the municipality of Jönköping in Sweden. They will read their book in English and discuss with the children the global problem of pollution and marine debris. For children ages 6–12.

Invited by the French Institute and the French School of Thessaloniki, Orianne Lallemand visits the children’s corner with her book “The Little Wolf” (published by Papadopoulos), a story where the mood changes from one moment to the next. How can he learn to control his emotions? A workshop in French will be held for students of the French School of Thessaloniki, and a workshop with a Greek translation will be held for children of all ages, featuring Evi Gerokosta, a storyteller and translator.

Author Berislav Blagojević has prepared a workshop on learning the Cyrillic alphabet together with the “Library Kittens”—the characters from his children’s book. The presentation will explain the basics. Children will discover similarities and differences between the Greek and Cyrillic alphabets and will form words using letter stickers. Organized by: National and University Library of the Republic of Srpska. For children ages 6–12.

Andreja Peklar and Jana Bauer, award-winning and widely translated Slovenian authors, will present the Greek translations of their children’s books *How Do We Hug a Hedgehog?*, The Little Moon and Me, and A Thousand Birds (published by Vachikon), and will host a fun quiz and a creative arts-and-crafts workshop where children will make birds and hedgehogs. With the support of Creative Europe (Connected with Books) and the Embassy of Slovenia in Greece. For children ages 6–9.

As a guest of the Goethe-Institut Thessaloniki, the distinguished Austrian author Ursula Poznanski will present her award-winning young adult thriller “Erebos” (published by Patakis), the story of a mysterious online game that lures players into dangerous missions. Dimitra Kyranoudi talks with the author about the inspiration behind the bestseller and the enduring appeal of young adult thrillers for young readers. For teens and adults.

The Goethe-Institut Thessaloniki is also bringing author Carsten Henn to the Thessaloniki International Book Fair with his book ”The Golden Typewriter”, which, together with the creative team at Gamecraft, invites us to a live mystery game where children will embark on adventures, trying to correct all the incorrect historical information that leads readers to false knowledge. For children ages 9 and up.

Spanish author Eulalia Canal invites us to “Strawberry Tea in the Badger’s Den” – “The Wolf’s Blue Secret” (published by Metaixmio), featuring the Bear, the Badger, the Wolf, and the Squirrel—four friends who, when they’re together, can change the world! For children ages 5 and up.