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.
Established in 2014, the Bratislava Book Festival, held in spring or summer, aspires to be a platform for smaller publishers and to create opportunities for contributors to the literature market such as authors, illustrators, graphic designers, translators, and others. Each year, up to 40 selected small and mid-sized publishers from the V4 (Visegrád Four countries) and Ukraine are invited to participate in a program for the general public and an off-program for professionals.
Held in November, the international book fair Biblioteka is an important event that influences the atmosphere for that month in Bratislava. With its large variety of genres, the book fair attracts fans of non-fiction, novels, science fiction, detective stories, children’s books, religious literature, and poetry. The fair hosts meetings with authors, ceremonial book launches, lectures, and discussions about literature production.
The LIKE Festival of Contemporary Literature in Košice is usually held in September in the premises of the Tabačka Kulturfabrik and the Artforum Košice Bookstore. It seeks to intensify the contact between all parties involved in literary life in Slovakia such as writers, publishers, booksellers, book editors, translators, literary scholars, and readers. A common theme across all programmes is to strengthen the natural connections between literature and other artistic genres, while also working to link them to broader cultural and social contexts.
The ŽLF in Žilina offers its visitors a variety of themes and programs. The three-day festival in September is filled with comics, architecture, travel, children’s books, poetry, novels, science, and more. There are debates with interesting Slovak and foreign authors, thematic discussions, excellent concerts, workshops, all-day children’s program, and a book market with publishers and bookstores.
The Prešov číta rád festival takes place in September across the city of Prešov. Organized by the P. O. Hviezdoslav Regional Library, it offers unique opportunities for meetings with well-known authors and discussions on literature and social topics. It offers young and old readers alike the opportunity to meet their favorite authors and deepen their relationship with literature.
