Programs 2007
26th Istanbul Book Fair
October 27-November 4, 2007
Organised by TÜYAP Tüm Fuarcılık Yapım A.Ş. and the Turkish Publishers Association, the 26th Istanbul Book Fair was held at the TÜYAP Beylikdüzü Exhibition and Congress Centre between October 27th and November 4th, 2007.
Employing a different theme to bring the writer and the reader together every year, the Istanbul Book Fair also encompasses cultural and literary activities. The Istanbul Book Fair Advisory Board has chosen this year’s theme as "Literature in the Mediterranean, the Mediterranean in Literature", and Metin And as the honorary author.
The fair hosted over 200 cultural activities ranging from interviews to panels, poetry readings and children’s events, as well as literary conversations based on the Mediterranean theme with guest writers from Turkey and abroad.
Approximately 500 publishers and NGOs participated in the Istanbul Book Fair this year. Cultural activities and autograph events enabled hundreds of writers, artists, scientists, journalists and politicians to meet with book lovers. The 26th Istanbul Book Fair was held simultaneously with the ARTIST 2007 – 17th Istanbul Art Fair.
Last year the fair had over 400.000 visitors. This fair is especially unique because it is one of the few events in this very crowded city which gathers every segment of society, regardless of age, socio-economic status, life style, etc. Professionals, students, housewives, unemployed, religious extremists, liberals, intellectuals, artists, educators, learners are all represented both as sellers and buyers. This makes the Book Fair a perfect venue for our efforts to reach the "broader audience".
Our guest author, Claire Messud made a presentation entitled "Writing the Emperor’s Children", about the creation process of her best-selling novel which has been translated into Turkish and published to be released just before the beginning of the book fair. Her lecture took place at TUYAP, Karadeniz Room at 14:15, on Saturday Oct. 27 (the opening day of the fair). She then participated in a book signing function at the Yapi Kredi Booth (the publisher of her book).