Barcelona and Catalan literature, guests of honour at the 2016 Warsaw Book Fair

Warsaw (CNA).- The city of Barcelona and Catalan literature are the special guests at the Warsaw Book Fair 2016 to be held in the Polish capital between Thursday and next Sunday. The 2016 edition of the Book Fair in the Polish capital is to feature 800 booths with participants from 25 different countries. The presence of Catalonia at the book fair is to strengthen already existing relationships and create new business ties with Poland and surrounding countries. It will additionally promote the future translation of Catalan works into Polish, particularly Catalan classics. The participation of Catalonia at the book fair will consist of a booth, a professional programme and a series of literary events involving the featured writers. Some of the topics to be discussed are the 'Barcelona Literary Scene' and 'Barcelona: UNESCO City of Literature'. This is the 6^th edition of the Warsaw Book Fair, and the 2015 event was contributed to by 860 exhibitors from 29 different countries, gathering up to 800 authors from around the world and more than 72,000 visitors.

A delegation of Catalan writers formed by Sebastià Alzamora, Blanca Busquets, Jaume Cabré, Jenn Díaz, Rafel Nadal, Marc Pastor, Jordi Puntí, Care Santos, Màrius Serra and Jordi Sierra i Fabra will participate in the event, which aims to highlight contemporary Catalan creation. The work of the invited authors has been translated into Polish in recent years, or will be translated soon. In total, this year's edition of the fair will have 800 booths from 25 different countries, with authors and publishers from countries like England, Ukraine, and Belarus.

Catalan participation at the Warsaw Book Fair is an opportunity to promote new contacts and business opportunities between the Polish and Catalan publishing sectors for the dissemination of Catalan literature in Poland and promote the translation of Catalan literature into Polish, especially the classics.

The Catalan presence at the Fair consists of a stand, a professional programme and a series of literary events by writers. The Institut Ramon Llull (IRL) is the organiser of the delegation, together with the City Council and with the collaboration of the Ministry of Participation, Transparency and Culture of the Government of the Balearic Islands, along with FC Barcelona as a primary partner.

The Catalan programme in Warsaw

The Catalan programme at the Warsaw Book Fair includes new presentations, dialogues between authors and book signings. The events are part of a programme which is somewhere between professional and literary in composition. 'Barcelona Literary Scene' and 'Barcelona: UNESCO City of Literature' are some of the topics to be discussed at various meetings and discussions.

In addition, the Warsaw Book Fair will host a meeting with professionals for students of the literary translation seminar in Krakow organised by the IRL, which held its first session from the 21^st to the 23^rd of March at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow. The Catalan capital is also classified as a UNESCO City of Literature.

The data of the Warsaw Book Fair

The Warsaw Book Fair has been held annually since 2010 at the National Stadium in Warsaw and, during this time, has been establishing itself as a meeting point for authors, publishers, literary agencies and a cultural public on an international level.

The last edition saw the participation of 860 exhibitors from 29 different countries, gathering up to 800 authors from around the world and more than 72,000 visitors.