The Bookseller.com

2nd December 2008

Anna Richardson

Anna Richardson is The Bookseller's media editor. Anna's media blog will provide a weekly insight into the big books featuring in the media.

Going Greek

31.05.08

29th May

When you’ve previously only been to London Book Fair, it’s hard to imagine what the fifth Thessaloniki Book Fair in Greece will offer.  You imagine the sun, the sea and a fair portion of Greek, but that’s about it. The fair prides itself as being international, and there are around 50 exhibitors in the international zone, but with only a small contingent from the UK confirmed, for example, it is a far cry from the huge get-together of international power houses that are the big trade fairs.

Held at the HelExpo exhibition centre in Thessaloniki just a stone’s throw from the city's lively harbor--the fair is surprisingly slick: three invitingly-lit halls with wide aisles and welcoming stands. Guest of honour France has laid out an impressive central hub, and the theme of political writing is accompanied by an exhibition of graphic political posters.

The opening ceremony somewhat passes me by, as there is no translation, although there is much hustle and bustle, with TV cameras and photographers chasing the local dignitaries.

The fair itself has a packed programme of events, covering some familiar topics. Discussions range from “books and intellectual property” to “do literary journals have a future in the internet age?” and “is there such a thing as men’s literature?”.
Not all events are translated, which is a shame. But then again, part of the book fair’s aim is to attract the general public, which many of these events are aimed at.

30th May

My first full day at the fair is quiet –exhibitors who have been before agree that they were hoping for a bit more footfall. Maybe it has something to do with this year’s theme of political books-- a subject too serious for the visiting public, perhaps? (Especially compared to last year’s theme of travel).

But many appreciate the relative calm, which offers the chance to arrange meetings ad hoc and nurture new relationships.

Arcadia’s Gary Pulsifer and Way2Go’s Richard Bates, who are manning the UK publishers’ stand (which also represents the likes of Bradt and Virago), are keen supporters of the fair. With Pulsifer publishing a number of Greek authors, such as Alexis Stamatis, and looking for translation deals for some of the publishers' titles, and Bates developing a new Greek travel series, this is not surprising. But both stress that opportunities to meet publishers and authors from around Europe is the main draw.  “It's definitely worth it,” says Pulsifer "There is a mix of exhibitors here that you would not normally meet at Frankfurt or London”.

Ayser Ali from Turkish literary agency Kalem agrees the fair is very much a meeting point for the Balkan, with its ideal Northern Greece location, and Sophie Bertrand of guest of honour France's publishers association BIEF has seen the fair develop over the past three years and become very professiona. She says its a great place for business as well as intellectual exchance.

With a combination of Greek government and EU funding enabling the fair to offer nine square metres of free exhibition space to exhibitors – especially important to attract the otherwise reluctant Greek publishing houses from Athens – it certainly seems a winning formula, and in the evening, attendance picks up, as the locals finish work and take advantage of the fair’s Mediterranean opening hours of 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

31st May

With the weekend under way on Saturday, the public is out in force, snapping up books that are for sale and crowding into author talks.

One highlight of the bookfair is Jonathan Coe’s appearance. The fair’s daily newspaper (which has one spread of English info) proclaims that Coe is “extremely popular” in Greece, and the audience that squeezes into his talk certainly proves the point, as eager readers literally fall over each other to get a seat or square inch of floor space, where they hang off Coe’s every word.

His thoughts on his life as a writer (“It is impossible as a writer to read your own novels like a reader. Reading your own novel is like staring at yourself in the mirror for hours at a time – and who would want to do that”); family (“A family is not a democracy, it’s a tyranny, albeit often a benign one”); politics (“I almost feel nostalgic for Thatcher”); and what makes a book travel well (“you need a strong sense of your own background”) delight the assembled audience.

After the talk, the same readers crowd around Coe's Greek publisher Polis’ stand for a signing session with the author, which is an impressive sight, given the Greeks’ disinclination to queuing. 

Coe's popularity unfortunately also highlights the relatively small size of the British contingent present at the fair. France has pulled out all the stops for its Guest of Honour stand, but I wonder whether British publishing would have arrived with as much vigour and enthusiasm were it accorded such status.

Bertrand has found over the years that the Greek are discerning and sophisticated readers -- surely a market worth pursuing-- and with the fair trying to carve out its identity as the meeting place for the Balkans and Southern Europe, it is fertile ground.
 

Arcadia Home Thessaloniki Book Fair