Books are survived by readers. Without readers, there will be no book publishers or book festivals or even libraries. Fortunately, we have hundreds of thousands of readers and book lovers, and therefore, we can see a whole sea of beautiful books and book fairs, though as Sri Lankans we only experience Colombo International Book Fair (at BMICH) and Big-Bad Wolf book fair. Here are some of the world’s major book fairs that are to be held in 2022.
Havana Book Fair
Havana’s 10-day International Book Fair is the biggest book fair in the Latin American region, and is held at Havana, Cuba from February 4-11, 2022.
Paisley Book Festival
The Paisley Book Festival in Paisley, UK is a platform for the celebration of books, reading, and writing over the course of 10 days from February 18 to 26, 2022.
Stuttgart Antiquarian Book Fair
This is Germany’s leading annual rare book fair held in Stuttgart, Germany from February 18 to 22, and brings together each year local and international booksellers.
Vilnius Book Fair
This book fair is considered the biggest in the Baltic countries and a popular cultural event in Lithuania. It is held in Vilnius, Lithuania from February 24 to 27.
Dahlonega Literary Festival
The Dahlonega Literary Festival in Georgia, US, is an annual celebration of books that takes place in March 5, 2022.
Brussels Book Fair
The Brussels Book Fair in Brussels, Belgium is a nonprofit event promoting books and reading to all audiences since 2016. It takes place from March 10 to 13.
Leipzig Book Fair
Leipzig Book Fair takes place in Leipzig, Germany during March 17 to 20.
Istanbul CNR Book Fair
One of the most important cultural events in Istanbul, the last CNR Book Fair brought readers and writers together for autograph days and interviews, seminars, panels, and exhibitions. This year it is open for book lovers from March 19 to 27.
London Book Fair
The London Book Fair is held during Apr 5 to 7, 2022, in London, and it features a wide range of activities like conferences.
Bologna Children’s Book Fair
The Bologna Children’s Book Fair in Bologna, Italy has been the event in the children’s publishing industry for 57 years. This year it opens from April 21 to 24, and over 1,400 exhibitors and 30,000 professional visitors.
Geneva Book Fair
The Geneva Book Fair is the only publisher fair in Switzerland. It unfolds from April 27 to May 1, 2022 and brings together nearly 350 exhibitors from all over the French-speaking world.
Guernsey Literary Festival
The Guernsey Literary Festival in Channel Islands which is held during June 22 to 26, 2022, brings some of the world’s greatest writers, speakers and thinkers to Guernsey. With events for all interests and ages, the Festival is a unique opportunity to come together to celebrate the written word.
Bienal do Livro or São Paulo Book Fair
Considered as one of the most relevant events in the Brazilian publishing market, the São Paulo Book Fair is held from July 2 to 10, 2022. This gathers the main publishing houses, book distributors and book releases in Brazil.
The San Francisco Art Book Fair
The SF Art Book Fair is an annual multi-day festival of artists’ publications. The event unfolds from July 15 to 17, 2022, and is free and open to the public and features artists’ books, art catalogs, monographs, periodicals, zines, printed ephemera, and artists’ multiples.
Hong Kong Book Fair
Hong Kong Book Fair is an international book fair and has established itself as a platform for cultural exchange, not just for Hongkong but the globe as a whole. The exhibition will open from July 20 to 26, 2022, and is divided into several themed zones representing various sectors in the world of publishing and ensuring that the Hongkong Book Fair keeps up with trends in the industry.
Edinburgh International Book Festival
The Edinburgh International Book Festival, UK, features hundreds of events for children and young adults featuring the finest writers and illustrators of children’s books and young adult novels from all over the world. With emerging writers to Nobel Prize-winners, the Edinburgh International Book Festival is full of great ideas and captivating discussions. This year it is held from August 13 to Aug. 29.
Beijing International Book Fair
The Beijing Book Fair is generally attended by over 30,000 people each year. With publishers, distributors, literary agents, digital media companies, film and production companies and bookstores holding booths to showcase all they have to offer.
In addition to that there are many special treats, from mini-exhibitions, lectures, seminars, salons, book launches, awards and various cultural events. This year it is held from August 24 to 27.
Read My World Festival
Read My World opens in Amsterdam, Netherlands during September 1 to 3, 2022, and it explores the boundaries between literature and journalism, between here and there and draws attention to everything in between.
York Book National Fair
The York Fair, UK, which began in 1974, features over 220 of this country’s leading booksellers. The fair opens on September 9 and ends on Sep. 10, 2022.
Goteborg Book Fair
The Gothenburg Book Fair is an annual event held in Gothenburg, Sweden. It starts on September 22 and ends on Sep. 25, 2022. This is primarily a trade fair for librarians and teachers, but is now the largest literary festival in Scandinavia and the second largest book fair in Europe after the Frankfurt Book Fair.
New York Comic Con
New York Comic Con is the East Coast’s biggest and most exciting popular culture convention which unfolds from October 6 to 9, 2022. It plays host to the latest and greatest in comics, graphic novels, anime, manga, video games, toys, movies, and television.
Seattle Antiquarian Book Fair
Dealers from across North America and beyond descend annually upon Seattle, offering for sale thousands of collectible books, prints, maps, autographs, photographs, posters, postcards, ephemera, manuscripts, broadsides, fine bindings and more.
Come tour the aisles of this most literate city’s beloved event. Meet with specialists from all over the world. Browse this veritable museum of cultural and historical artifacts. There is something interesting and unique to take home for all attendees on any budget. This year it is held from October 8 to 9, 2022.
Other major book fairs
Apart from these, there are also other major book fairs which includes New Delhi World Book Fair, Frankfurt Book Fair, Jaipur Literature Festival, Sunshine State Book Festival in Florida, US, Latvian Book Fair, Ennis Book Club Festival in Ireland, Virginia Festival of the Book, US, Southern Kentucky Book Fest, US, The AWP Conference & Bookfair, US, Salon International Du Livre, Canada, Bay Area Book Festival, US, Franschhoek Literary Festival, Cape Town, South Africa, Calabash International Literary Festival, Jamaica, Bouchercon, the World Mystery Convention, Minnesota, US, and Goteborg Book Fair, Gothenburg, Sweden.