Istanbul Book Fair is an annual event that has been held in Istanbul since 1982, which makes it the largest book event in Turkey.
What is the Istanbul Book Fair?
Turkey’s largest international book fair opens its doors to book lovers every year, usually over a weekend-inclusive program. The 38th international fair was organized by Tüyap Fairs in partnership with the Turkish Publishers Association. Tüyap Fair and Congress Center is located in the Büyükçekmece district of Istanbul, and the fair has also been arranged with Anadolu Agency as its global communication partner.
The event has built a strong reputation over the years thanks to its scale and wide public interest. It brings together publishers, non-governmental organizations, authors, translators, speakers, designers, and readers in one place. If you are planning a wider city visit around the fair, you can also explore central landmarks such as Taksim Square or spend time shopping in the Grand Bazaar.
Istanbul Book Fair facts and figures
At the opening ceremony for the 2019 edition, expectations were said to be over a million visitors. The municipality has also shown interest in playing a bigger role in the fair in upcoming years because of its fame and cultural importance.
According to the information in the original event coverage, more than 800 national and international publishers and non-governmental organizations attend the fair. The program includes around 300 cultural events and thousands of book signing sessions. On following days, many authors, freelancers, translators, speakers, and designers join the fair to speak, translate, sign books, and meet readers.
For the upcoming fair referenced in the original article, the 39th International Istanbul Book Fair was to be held from Saturday, 31 October 2020 to Sunday, 8 November 2020 at Tüyap Exhibition and Congress Center. Exhibited products and services were listed as books, periodicals, newspaper and magazine publishing, digital publishing, media companies, and non-governmental organizations involved in publishing.
Facts and figures shared for Istanbul Book Fair 2019 included the following: total exhibitors 800, total events 300, foreign participants 95 from 15 countries, 17 international guests, and total visitors 605,000. The address of Tüyap Fair and Congress Center is E-5, Cumhuriyet Mahallesi, Hadımköy Yolu, 34500 Büyükçekmece / İstanbul.
What can you find at the fair?
The fair offers a broad range of printed and publishing-related materials. Visitors can find calendars, children’s colorful books, computer accessories, computer software, all kinds of dictionaries, encyclopedias, globes, greeting cards, many magazines, new and old maps, newspapers, religious books, scientific books, stationery, textbooks, and travel books.
One of the strengths of the fair is that these materials are not limited to a single language. The event is prepared for both local and foreign visitors, so books and related materials can be found in multiple languages.
International program and guest of honor tradition
Since 2010, the International Istanbul Book Fair has welcomed Guests of Honor and an International Rights Center at the International Hall, held during the first four days of the fair.
Previous Guests of Honor were listed as Spain (2010), Egypt (2011), Holland (2012), People’s Republic of China (2013), Hungary (2014), Romania (2015), Germany (2016), and Korea (2017).
The International Hall includes a professional program with Guest of Honor events, meetings, matchmaking sessions, and sector panels designed to build an international network. The Illustrator’s Meeting, launched in 2018, aims to connect publishing professionals and illustrators. Together with seminar programs and hundreds of events, these features help make the fair one of the foremost cultural activities in the city.
Why the fair matters in Istanbul
The Istanbul Book Fair is not simply a place to buy books. It is also a meeting point for the publishing world and a cultural platform where readers can engage with writers, translators, and artists. Its mix of exhibitions, professional networking, seminars, and signings has made it a very famous and important event in the city.
Visitors who want to combine cultural events with sightseeing may also consider nearby Istanbul highlights on other days of their trip, such as Bosphorus Cruise experiences or historic spaces like Hagia Sophia.
For general background on the event and its history, you can also check Wikipedia. For transportation planning in Istanbul, the city’s official public transport resources such as Metro Istanbul may also be useful before you go.
International Istanbul Book Fair remains an important event worth considering if you are interested in books, publishing, and Istanbul’s cultural life.
