Europe’s vast range of literary events includes some of the oldest and most venerated in the world. Use the search menu below to find events across the continent.
The Children’s Book Island international literature festival is part of a programme for children and adolescents called Children’s Land, which aims to spark interest in literature through non-formal educational and cultural activities organized by an NGO Mokyklų tobulinimo centras (School Improvement Center). This family-friendly literature festival presents the newest books for children and young adults by Lithuanian and international authors and provides a space for visitors to meet authors and illustrators. There are also interactive readings, creative workshops, theatre performances, and films based on literary works. It is supported by Lithuanian Council for Culture.
The Vilnius Book Fair, launched in 2000, is the largest annual book fair in the Baltic states and one of Lithuania’s major cultural events. Designed both for a general audience and industry professionals, it offers over 550 events over a four-day programme, including writers’ talk shows, book presentations, discussions, film screenings, concerts, exhibitions, creative workshops, and other cultural activities that attracted over 65,000 local and foreign visitors annually until the pandemic. It is organized by the Lithuanian Publishers’ Association, the Lithuanian Exhibition and Congress Centre “Litexpo”, and the Lithuanian Culture Institute. The fair is supported by the Ministry of Culture.
Launched in 2019 by the NGO Open Books, this literature festival introduces works published in Lithuanian as well as their authors, and features topical discussions in the field of literature and culture, and meetings with well-known foreign authors. The festival is a literary kaleidoscope of the current year, featuring both celebrated and emerging writers selected by the organizers and a jury.
Launched in 1965, Poetry Spring is the biggest annual poetry festival in Lithuania, featuring celebrated and upcoming poets at more than 100 events, including poetry readings, talk shows, roundtable discussions, and more in several cities across the country. The festival combines traditional and innovative poetic expression and seeks to engage diverse audiences and generations. A festival yearbook is published every year, and festival winners are announced at a traditional closing event at Vilnius University.
Vilnius Pages celebrates acclaimed and popular Lithuanian and international authors. The festival puts emphasis on creating a natural dialogue between writers and readers through meetings, discussions, debates, live public author readings, musical and poetic improvisations, concerts, exhibitions, performances, and literature-based film screenings. The events take place in numerous locations across the city, and many are free of charge. Vilnius Pages brings contemporary literature to the general public, making it a popular, attractive, and enjoyable pastime. It is organized by the Association for Reading Promotion and Cultural Literacy and the Lithuanian Writers’ Union.
