Greece Honored at 29th Moscow International Book Fair

The 29th Moscow International Book Fair (MIBF) kicked off on September 7 and runs through to September 11 at the VDNKh, one of the most popular venues in Moscow. There are 600 events on the agenda with 500 publishing houses taking part. Apart from meetings with top authors, book presentations and the usual fodder, Greece will be the honored guest in the framework of 2016 being designated a Russia-Greece cross-cultural year.

The spotlight on Greek literature follows a similar initiative that took place at the Thessaloniki International Book Fair in May where Russia was the honored guest. Now it is Greece’s turn to present literature, cinema and Greek language courses to a Russian audience.

One of the events includes the participation of Greek writer Alki Zei, aged 91, to the fair to present her book “The Tiger in the Shop Window” (Wildcat Under Glass) that has been translated in all major world languages and will be re-issued in Russia this year. Other writers will also be present, giving visitors to the Greek stand the chance to get acquainted with aspects of Greek culture through a selection of around 600 publications from 50 publishing houses to showcase the Greek literary, scientific and artistic production from antiquity until today.

Highlights:

•”The new spirit of Greek literature,” with the participation of writers Ioanna Bourazopoulou, Giannis Palavos, and Christos Chrysopoulos and literary critics Mikela Chartoulari and Vangelis Chatzivasileiou.
•”Greek crime fiction facing the challenges of the era” presentation of the course of Greek crime fiction by Vangelis Chatzivasileiou.
•Academic lectures by Hagen Fleischer, Venetia Apostolidou, Alexandra Ioannidou in collaboration with the Department of Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies of the Lomonosov Moscow State University.
•Literature and cinema: screenings of Greek films inspired by Greek literature, including the academy award winning film “Z” by Costas Gavras. The writer Vasilis Vasilikos who wrote the novel of the same title on which the film’s script is based, will introduce the film.
•Screenings of award-winning Greek animation films for children and adults in collaboration with ASIFA HELLAS and Greekanimation.gr
•The Art Exhibition “Typography as an act of art” and lectures by the director of the State Museum of Contemporary Art, Maria Tsantsanoglou and the curator Eirini Papakonstantinou.

The events’ program was developed by the Hellenic Foundation for Culture with the collaboration and support of Cavafy Archive-Onassis Foundation, State Museum of Contemporary Art, Greek Film Archive, Greek Film Center, Michael Cacoyannis Foundation, ASIFA HELLAS – Greekanimation.com, Greek IBBY-The Circle of the Greek Children’s Book and the Embassy of Greece to the Russian Federation, as well as the Department of Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies of the Lomonosov Moscow State University.