Worldwide publishers, readers flock to Vilnius

VILNIUS - Crowds thronged to Vilnius' Litexpo exhibition center Feb. 10 for the Vilnius International Book Fair. Some 180 publishing houses, book stores, associations and institutes exhibited, the majority of them from outside Lithuania.

The fair included exhibitions of fiction and non-fiction books, newspapers, journals, children's books, maps, travel guides and textbooks.

Nearly 100 foreign participants and 82 Lithuanian exhibitors took part in the event - 77 French publishing houses represented the largest foreign contingent.

Other participants came from Poland, Russia, Belgium, Germany, Slovakia, Finland and the United States to show currently published books and other publications.

Lithuanian publishing houses on hand included Vaga, Alma Litera, Tyto Alba and Baltos Lankos.

The European Commission Information Center in Vilnius, the Lithuanian Literature and Folklore Institute, the Lithuanian Language Institute and Vilnius Arts Academy also sponsored stands.

This year's fair was preparation for many for a giant book fair in Frankfurt, scheduled for Oct. 9–14.

Lithuanian publishers will be organizing the Frankfurt fair's main exhibition, "Lithuania: The Story Continues."

"Our goal is to get Lithuanian society acquainted with the project and Lithuania's participation in Frankfurt," said Rasa Drazdauskiene, director of the committee for Lithuanian participation at the Frankfurt Book Fair.

"The Frankfurt Book Fair is going to be a great event. We have managed to prompt Lithuanians not only get to know something about it, but also be interested," she said.