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The Turku International Book Fair exhibits Life

The Town of Laitila with its rooster emblem meets boot-shaped Italy next autumn at the Turku International Book Fair

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Turku International Book Fair. In honour of this special occasion, the Town of Laitila and Italy have been chosen as the themes of the fair. The Book Fair will share its weekend at Turku Fair and Congress Center with the Turku Food Fair and the Science Fair. This exciting grand event is anticipated to attract more than 20,000 guests from all over Finland throughout the weekend of 1-3 October 2010.

The fair kicks off the autumn season of the Finnish book market. The event will host more than 400 authors, and visitors to the fair will spend an average of 60 euro on items to be given as Christmas gifts.

“The Turku Book Fair has also always had a strong cultural undercurrent. Year after year, they have been the beacon, whose light has already inspired more than 400,000 visitors to explore the world of books and reading,” states Kari J. Kettula, Programme Manager for the Turku Book Fair.

“Italy is an interesting theme, because it represents the cradle of European culture and is, for many, a familiar and beloved travel destination,” says Kettula in reference to this year’s theme country.

This year’s fair will also offer much more. The Christian Cultural Forum, held in connection with the fair, will examine the spread of religions in the Mediterranean region.

The Nordiska röster (Nordic voices) project will bring storytellers from Shetland and the Nordic countries to the fair. The themes chosen for the Polish exhibition at the fair are Frédéric François Chopin and Ryszard Kapuscinski. Jyrki K. Ihalainen, who was recently awarded with the Eino Leino Prize, will produce the exhibition highlighting Turkey. The other countries presented at the fair include Estonia, Russia and Iceland.

The Science Fair has already attracted the participation of, among others, the Academy of Finland, the University of Turku, the Committee for Public Information, the Federation of Finnish Learned Societies, the Finnish Association of Science Editors and Journalists, Yleisradio (Finnish Broadcasting Company), and the Finnish Literary Society.

“The themes of this autumn’s Science Fair are astronomy and outer space, health and medicine, cultural history, and Finnish expeditions,” lists Lisa Savola, Project Manager.

Further information:

Programme and content:
Kari J. Kettula, Programme Manager, Turku Fair and Congress Center, tel. +358 400 820 534, kari.kettula (at) turunmessukeskus.fi

Lisa Savola, Project Manager of the Book Fair, tel. +358 50 342 8668, lisa.savola (at) turunmessukeskus.fi

The Book fair is open

Friday 1 Oct 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Saturday 2 Oct 10 a.m. – 6 p.m., Sunday 3 Oct 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.