Int'l book fair in Thessaloniki brings together Greece, China

For the 12th year, the International Book Fair was held in Thessaloniki, spreading a message of hope and optimism despite the economic crisis.

Book lovers had the opportunity to explore aspects of contemporary publishing worldwide during the four-day event, which kicked off on May 7, and hosted 300 writers and 220 publishing houses from 20 countries.

"Culture resists the economic crisis, stays alive despite adversities," Christodoulos Giallouridis, president of the Hellenic Foundation for Culture, told Xinhua.

"The book fair is very important for Greece, as it brings together different cultures and customs," he stressed.

Every year the book fair brings together hundreds of publishers, writers, booksellers, librarians, institutions, bodies and organizations for the books from Greece, Europe, South-Eastern Mediterranean, and the whole world.

China was among the foreign countries to take part in the fair with Chinese culture being extremely popular among visitors.

"In the last years, China has a strong presence in the fair. During the four-day event, the Chinese delegation met with Greek publishers in order to exchange ideas and cooperate in the field of book translations and arts," said Nopi Chatzigeorgiou, coordinator of the Thessaloniki Book Fair at the Hellenic Foundation for Culture.

According to Chatzigeorgiou, the majority of Greeks want to find books to learn about the Chinese civilization and language and the secrets of the nutritional cuisine.

On the other hand, Chinese, apart from the Ancient Greek history and the classic writers, have shown a great interest in Greek children's literature. "Many children's books have been translated into Chinese," she added.

The fair covers a wide range of interests of all age groups. As Chatzigeorgiou noted, the goal of the fair is to become a meeting point, a platform that "transports" ideas and culture among participants.

"Visitors can attend and participate in the events, in the conversations with the authors, promoting book and culture," she highlighted.