The Guest of Honour Pavilion (Forum/Level 1) is the main place where you can experience the diversity of Georgian literature and culture. The letters of the Georgian alphabet, which was added to UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list in 2016, play a prominent role in the space designed by the George Bokhua Studio and Multiverse Architecture in Tbilisi. Not only are the new Georgian publications presented in the environment inspired by the 33 characters – 33 doors will also open here, 33 songs will sound out, 33 boats will sail and 33 loaves of bread will be baked. The Pavilion is the stage for an extensive programme of readings and live music. Each day of the book fair comes to an end with the Happy Hour at 5 p.m., which includes anything from the techno sounds of the resident DJ from Tbilisi’s famous Bassiani nightclub or a performance by the Georgian National Ballet Sukhishvili. Georgian wine and typical Georgian delicacies will really whet the appetite of visitors. And the guest country programme will come to a close in a grand finale – the traditional Handover Ceremony with Georgian author Zurab Karumidze and Norwegian writer Åsne Seierstad (14 Oct, 3.30 p.m.).

Visitors can also encounter Georgian authors, artists and creatives in events and readings around the rest of the book fair site, for example, at Georgia’s National Stand (Hall 5.0, B100), at the Literature for Children and Young Adults Stand (Hall 3.0, F152) at THE ARTS+ (Hall 4.1, N67, N71 etc), on the Agora, and in the Gourmet Gallery (Hall 3.1, L140, L146). „Science – Made by Characters“ and the Georgia’s Innovation and Technology Agency will present themselves (Hall 4.2, E93, B85). There is also a whole host of lectures and readings in other places, such as during the city’s reading festival OPEN BOOKS, and at BOOKFEST, the festival of the Frankfurter Buchmesse.


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