The Göteborg Book Fair, held 24–27 September, is being adapted into a digital hub of education and literature in collaboration with publishers and industry participants.
Press release 28 May 2020: Göteborg Book Fair announces its plans for 2020
The Göteborg Book Fair, held 24–27 September, is being adapted into a digital hub of education and literature in collaboration with publishers and industry participants. The program will be streamed online by several media houses and newspapers, increasing exposure to new target groups. The major Swedish bookstores Akademibokhandeln and Bokus will act as official partners for book sales.
The Book Fair is a wonderful marketplace where authors and readers meet. It is also a forum for discussion and dialogue, where focus falls on literature and authors. The seminar program is a melting pot where prose and poetry blend with debate on political and societal issues. For the first time in 35 years, the Book Fair will not be held in physical form in Gothenburg. Instead of cancelling, the Book Fair is adapting. The plans will be presented today.
“We have developed what the Book Fair has done for decades – a physical Book Fair – into something we have never tried before: a digital education hub and a literature festival. We are incredibly proud that, in collaboration with publishers and other strong partners, we can present a strong initiative in which we take responsibility for the conversation focusing on literature and education. Obviously, we and many others will miss the physical fair, but through our digital undertaking we will be able to both continue and promote the vital dialogue while providing a platform for literature even during a year like this one,” says Frida Edman, director of the Göteborg Book Fair.
The 2020 Book Fair has two orientations: the Göteborg Book Fair Bildung Hub 24–25 September that raises current issues about the worlds of schools and libraries as well as the Göteborg Book Fair Literature Festival 26–27 September presenting a strong program based on this year’s published works. This year’s Book Fair also encompasses stage programs from ABF, the Global Square, Behold Man, Stage for Popular Science, Room for Poetry, Room for Translation, Teachers’ Stage and Göteborgs Litteraturhus.
The Book Fair’s website has been expanded with Bokmässan Play, a webpage completely dedicated to streamed content. All broadcasts will be found on the Play channel and be available for free to viewers. Broadcasting will take place in cooperation with Swedish dailies Aftonbladet, Expressen, Göteborgs-Posten, Svenska Dagbladet and make it possible for the Book Fair to reach a wide audience.
“You will be able to sit at home on the sofa and enjoy over 100 well-produced seminars that are recorded and broadcast live from studios built in different places. We are already in the process of program development and I am glad that so many publishers are with us on this journey. It will be a fantastic program that we are launching after the summer. The initiative shows that the Book Fair and conversations and talks where the current publication is highlighted is an important cultural event, regardless of format,” says Oskar Ekström, Program Director at the Göteborg Book Fair.
The program is currently being completed and will be presented on 25 August. It will be recorded and sent from various locations: Stockholm, Göteborg, Malmö, Cape Town and Johannesburg. Additional recording locations may be announced. This is being carried out in collaboration with Atlas, B Wahlströms, Bokfabriken, Bonnierförlagen, Bookmark, Daidalos, Dreamhack, Ersatz, Förlaget, Göteborg & Co, Jonsereds Herrgård – Göteborgs universitet, HarperCollins, Historiska media, Katalys, Kaunitz-Olsson, Kungliga biblioteket, Leopard, Lärarnas Riksförbund, Läsfrämjarinstitutet, Majblomman, Max Ström, Mondial, National Library of South Africa/DAC, Natur & Kultur, Nona, Norstedts, Ordfront, Piratförlaget, Polaris, Rámus, Raoul Wallenberg Academy, Rainy Lab, Schildts & Söderströms, Spotify, Strawberry, Studentlitteratur, Svensk Biblioteksförening, Svenska Kyrkan, Svenska PEN, Teg, The Book Affair, Timbro, Tukan, UR, Weyler och Volante. In addition, discussions are ongoing with other publishers and organisations.
Important for both authors, publishers and visitors is the opportunity to sell and buy books during the Book Fair. In order to create good and simple conditions for sales, even when the program takes place digitally, the Book Fair will collaborate with Akademibokhandeln and Bokus as exclusive sales partners.
The Göteborg Book Fair’s Bildung Hub encompasses some 50 program items primarily aimed at an industry target group in schools and libraries. At the same time, this hub is also interesting and relevant for general audiences interested in societal issues. This year’s theme Reading Promotion and Digital Culture pop up in different ways within the Bildung Hub in the form of seminars and other activities. The Bildung Hub also includes a program from the Teachers’ Stage in collaboration with the National Union of Teachers in Sweden.
The Göteborg Book Fair’s Literature Festival encompasses some 75 program items divided into six themes that will be streamed in parallel: Crimetime, Brain, Contemporary, Ideas, Life and LiterarySalon. The program is structured around the seminars which the Book Fair’s programming group set up during work earlier this spring.
Due to the current situation, Göteborg Book Fair will be delighted to welcome the 2020 Guest of Honour South Africa back to the Book Fair in 2022. However, South Africa is also participating in this year’s program in the digital format, and also plans for participation at the Book Fair in 2021.
For visitors who have bought visitor vouchers seminar cards for the 2020 Book Fair, your purchase will be valid for the 2021 Book Fair. As an alternative, you may also choose to receive your money back. Exhibitors of the 2020 Book Fair will be able to choose between cancelling their participation and getting their money back, or rebooking their stand for 2021.
The theme Reading promotion will still be included in the 2020 Book Fair with several seminars and will be back in 2021 with stage programs. The theme initiative Digital Culture will also be included in the 2020 Book Fair.
The 2020 Book Fair will take place 24–27 September. The program will be presented at a press conference on 25 August.
