in 2028 Lithuania will be the guest of honor at the Gothenburg Book Fair Culture

Lithuania will occupy the central position of the most important book fair of the Nordic countries for the second time after a very successful presentation in 2005.

During the fair celebrating its 40th anniversary, the document was signed between the Gothenburg Book Fair and the country-public project organizers – the Lithuanian Institute of Culture (LKI) and the Lithuanian Publishers Association (LLA).

Photo of the organizers/Memorandum of intent signed at the Gothenburg Book Fair

According to LKI director Julija Reklaitė, the aim of Lithuania’s presentation at the Gothenburg Book Fair is to update and deepen the Nordic region’s knowledge of the vibrant Lithuanian culture, activate cultural dialogue and cultivate a new generation of Lithuanian literature readers: “During the four years of preparation, we intend to focus on cooperation with Swedish literary organizations and publishers, to strengthen the training and promotion programs for translators, to create as many opportunities as possible for the works of Lithuanian authors to reach Swedish readers. The fair will also be an occasion for a broader presentation of Lithuanian culture to the discerning Swedish audience,” said J. Reklaitė.

“Lithuania is proud of the opportunity to become the 2028 The guest of honor of the Gothenburg Book Fair, said Deputy Minister of Culture Daina Urbanavičienė, who participated in the signing ceremony. – We support our long-term partnership, which gains a clear perspective until 2028 and in 2025, celebrating the twentieth anniversary of Lithuania’s first special presentation in Gothenburg, strengthens the participation of Lithuanian authors and publishers at the fair. After two decades, we are ready to reach a higher level of cooperation with the Nordic publishing industry.”

Both – 2005 and 2028. – Liana Ruokytė-Jonsson, initiator of Lithuania’s presentations at the Gothenburg Book Fair, Lithuanian cultural attaché in Sweden, Denmark and Finland, remembers well the success story that took place 19 years ago: “Lithuania – the guest of the country program received a great deal of media attention then, the publishing of Lithuanian translations doubled. After his presentation, the Gothenburg Book Fair celebrated Lithuania for a long time as the greatest success up to that point.

I think that this contributed to the positive decision of the fair organizers to invite Lithuania again as a guest country. Being in the spotlight at the most important literary event in the Nordic countries will not only give meaning to the creative spirit of our writers and thinkers, but also strengthen cultural ties with this region, which is of particular importance to us, by developing partnerships in all areas,” says L. Ruokytė-Jonsson.

Lolita Varanavičienė, president of the Association of Lithuanian Publishers, also recalls the historical perspective of the current agreements and Gothenburg’s inspiration for work in Lithuania: “After the restoration of Independence in Lithuania on March 11, 1990. The world of Lithuanian books has changed radically. Ideologically dependent publishers have been replaced by private publishers who have started to operate according to Western principles and are free to travel and be interested in the experiences of other countries in the field of publishing.

The first visits to the Gothenburg Book Fair were like a miracle: the atmosphere of the fair, the professionalism, the flow of visitors, the opportunity to meet the world’s literary stars were fascinating. Then the dream was born to create such a world of books in Lithuania as well. We have succeeded in some things and we have always compared to Gothenburg in creating our Vilnius book fair and our literary field, which we can be rightly proud of today”.

Unlike many of the world’s major international trade fairs, Gothenburg focuses on both publishing industry professionals and the public. The fair highlights the significant relationship between authors and readers by creating a space where literary professionals and book enthusiasts can meet for meaningful conversations. The mission of the Gothenburg Book Fair is to organize meetings between authors and readers, book signings, and various discussions.

in 2024 special attention of the fair is given to two themes – Sami culture and space.

This year, Lithuania is presenting itself at the joint EUNIC (European Union Network of Cultural Institutes stand). Writers Tomas Vaiseta and Ieva Toleikytė participate in the events of the fair – discussions with Swedish and other authors and readings.