Greece continues to make strong strides, expanding its presence on the international stage, with the aim of fostering openness, showcasing and promoting Greek creators, and connecting contemporary Greek literature with the international publishing world—authors, translators, publishers, literary agents, and cultural organizations.

The Greek participation in the 63rd Bologna Children’s Book Fair (BCBF), the Paris Book Festival (Festival du Livre de Paris), and the 37th Sarajevo International Book Fair is organized by the Ministry of Culture, through the Directorate of Literature, in collaboration with the Hellenic Book and Culture Foundation and with the support of the Greek Community in Bologna, the Hellenic Cultural Center in Paris, the Hellenic House in Paris, the Steering Committee of the Sarajevo Fair, PEN BiH (PEN Bosnia and Herzegovina), local diplomatic and consular authorities, as well as academic and cultural institutions.

The cultural and professional programs were designed with a focus on promoting contemporary Greek creativity, showcasing the State Literary Awards presented by the Ministry of Culture and Sports to creators over the past two years, and fostering dialogue on issues of concern to the international community today. Award-winning Greek authors and intellectuals participate in the cultural and professional programs (book presentations, roundtables, interactive visual arts workshops, etc.) feature award-winning Greek authors and intellectuals, whose presence helps promote Greek literature and intellectual thought on the international stage. The exhibitions are listed below, and the programs and events are detailed for each exhibition.

63rd Bologna Children’s Book Fair

(April 13–16, 2026)

The Bologna Children’s Book Fair, the world’s leading event for children’s and young adult literature, brings together more than 90 countries, with Norway as this year’s guest of honor. This year, the Greek pavilions will host 40 Greek publishing houses and cultural organizations, presenting 350 publications. Also on display will be books translated into other languages that were published with the support of GreekLit, the program that subsidizes the translation of titles from all categories of Greek book production into other languages. Greece is participating in the professional program, and events, discussions, as well as interactive performances and visual installations are planned, both inside and outside the exhibition space, with the participation of authors, illustrators, and Greek and foreign academics and visual artists. Two award-winning authors and two award-winning illustrators, who will present their work, were recently honored with the State Award for Children’s Nonfiction Books and the State Award for Illustrated Children’s Books.

Paris Book Festival

Festival du Livre de Paris

(April 17–19, 2026)

The Paris Book Festival, France’s premier literary event, brings together thousands of industry professionals from around the world each year, with events taking place both inside the Grand Palais and at cultural venues and bookstores throughout Paris. A special feature of this year’s Paris Book Festival is the Guest of Honor, none other than the Festival’s long-standing partner since 2023: the comic book!!

37th Sarajevo International Book Fair

37th Sarajevo International Book Fair

(April 22–27, 2026)

The Sarajevo International Book Fair is a major institution for books in the wider Balkan region, bringing together hundreds of publishers and thousands of visitors. This year’s edition is held under the title “On the Paths of the Book.” Greece is participating for the second time, following its participation in the 2025 edition as the Guest of Honor. This year, the Greek pavilion (A3 – Pavilion 1) will host Greek publishing houses and cultural organizations, which will present their publications.