Italy will be guest of honour at the 2022 edition of the Prague International Book Fair (Svet knihy). The main theme will be inspired by the title of a book by Umberto Eco dedicated to the experience and theory of translation, “Saying almost the same thing”, published by Bompiani in 2003.
The announcement was made by Radovan Auer, the festival’s director, at the end of a much-applauded meeting between the audience of the Fair and the Italian author Sandro Veronesi, organised by the Italian Cultural Institute in Prague to present the Czech translation of ‘Il Colibrì’ (The Hummingbird). The director of the Italian Cultural Institute in Prague, Alberta Lai, who promoted the Italian candidacy, said: “may I express my deep satisfaction for this announcement, which also took place in the presence of one of the most profound and appreciated among contemporary Italian writers, Sandro Veronesi. In 2022 the Institute directed by me will be celebrating the 100th anniversary of its foundation and the programme we will be offering to the International Book Fair in Prague will reflect the great importance of this anniversary”.
Svet knihy Praha is the most important book festival in the Czech Republic. At the last event before the pandemic, the four-day event averaged 50,000 visitors, 400 exhibitors, 800 guests, and 650 accompanying programmes per edition. According to data released by the organisers, despite the restrictions for containing the Covid-19 emergency the 2021 edition of the fair boasted 34,000 visitors, 288 exhibitors, 607 guests, and 481 programmes, plus 11 exhibitions; 27 countries were present.
