Tbilisi to be World Book Capital of 2021
By Natalia Kochiashvili
Friday, March 5
The World Book Capital is a large-scale project established by the General Conference of UNESCO in 2002. It aims to promote books and reading, development of the book industry and all related fields, modern authors, translators, libraries, and publishers.
According to the decision made by UNESCO, from April 23, 2021 to April 23, 2022, Tbilisi will be the World Book Capital. According to the project submitted on behalf of the Tbilisi City Hall and in accordance with the goals of the Tbilisi Book World Capital, more than 10 events are planned to be implemented by the end of this year. GEL846 thousand will be spent on organizing the UNESCO events in April.
On April 23, 2021, the project will officially open and Tbilisi will receive the status of the current World Book Capital from Kuala Lumpur. The opening event will include musical and theatre performances.
An exhibition of hitherto unknown archival material will be organized in connection with the 130th anniversary of famous Georgian poet Galaktion Tabidze. A museum for writers repressed by the Soviet authorities will open at the Writers' House.
The project will place emphasis on the mobile application ‘Interactive Books’ and host an exhibition-festival on the theme of Georgian fairy tales.
According to the National Procurement Agency’s statement, a new platform will be created for illustrators and designers, where about 50 artists will be presented with their own stand. Within the festival, several educational events and workshops, book presentations, and meetings with authors will be held. Also, a mass entertainment event is planned: a literary-musical performance will be held in the old part of Tbilisi, the central theme of which is the work of Sergo Parajanov. Representatives of UNESCO and members of the Advisory Committee will take part in the opening and key events.
