On Thursday, April 2, 2026, the Hellenic Foundation for Books and Culture (HFBC) presented its activities, future initiatives, and the strategic pillars of the 22nd Thessaloniki International Book Fair (TBF) at its new home, the Home of Books. The Fair will take place from Thursday, May 7, to Sunday, May 10, 2026, featuring the theme “Generation of Readers / Book Generators” (GeneReaders_BookGenerators), with Bulgaria as the Guest of Honour.

The Press Conference was attended by the Minister of Culture, Lina Mendoni, the Deputy Minister of Culture, Iasonas Fotilas, the Deputy Minister of Culture of the Republic of Bulgaria, Victor Stoyanov, and the Ambassador of the Republic of Bulgaria to Greece, Valentin Poriazov.

The neoclassical building at 134-136 Ermou Street is the new Home of Books. It was granted by the Ministry of Culture to the Hellenic Foundation for Books and Culture (HFBC) to house all the Foundation’s operations, aiming to serve as a hub for books and people of the book world.

The Minister of Culture, Lina Mendoni, stated:

“It is with great pleasure that we present today the actions and programming of the Hellenic Foundation for Books and Culture (HFBC), in a space that is now establishing a permanent identity as the “Home of Books”. The creation and operation of HFBC are part of the Ministry of Culture’s broader planning to establish a coherent and modern policy for the book sector.

The decision to grant the use of the Ermou Street building to HFBC perfectly serves this objective: to place books at the heart of the city, in the center of Athens, so that citizens can easily and substantially participate in its actions. It is an iconic building, fully restored by the Ministry of Culture’s services, and it is being returned with a new, vibrant role, while also contributing to the revitalization of the wider area.

Books are irreplaceable cultural assets. No matter how much our recreation and all kinds of information pass through the internet and the policies of modern technology and Artificial Intelligence, books remain unique companions and a tool for mental health and tranquility.

The proclamation of 2026 as the Year of Reading Culture, the development of the GreekLit programme, and the creation of new institutions, such as the International Children and Young Adults Book Fair, reflect the Ministry of Culture’s focus on strengthening the book sector.

At the same time, the Thessaloniki International Book Fair continues to enhance its role as a major institution with international reach, contributing significantly to the promotion of Greek literature and the expansion of collaborations in the book industry.

I would especially like to thank the Deputy Minister of Culture of the Republic of Bulgaria, Victor Stoyanov, for his presence here today. Bulgaria’s participation as the Guest of Honour at this year’s edition confirms the close cultural ties between our two countries and the prospects for further cooperation”.

The Deputy Minister of Culture, Iasoanas Fotilas, stated:

“There are moments when politics is vindicated not by announcements, but by results. This is one of these moments. We all remember the situation the Ministry faced not long ago.

A National Book Center struggling to meet the demands of the era, and a Hellenic Foundation for Culture frozen in time, disconnected from the dynamics of the modern cultural landscape. Two institutions with history, but also with burdens; with a mission, but without the tools to implement it.

The stakes were high and we all knew it: how do you merge two problematic organizations to create something new, ambitious, with a clear identity and a real capacity for action?

A merger is never a simple matter.

It is a political act that requires vision, patience, and skill. These elements were present on the part of the Ministry of Culture and our Minister, Lina Mendoni, to whom we owe this achievement.

In less than a year, HFBC, under the leadership of Nikos Bakounakis, along with its Board of Directors and personnel, achieved a true feat. It addressed past problems and pending issues, established the institutional foundations for its operation, and gradually assumed its decisive role in shaping and implementing government policy for books and letters.

And this is only the beginning!

HFBC’s strategic role is multifaceted: cultivating a reading culture, promoting Greek books and their creators both in Greece and abroad, and establishing the international presence befitting a country with a vibrant literary tradition.

We are here by its side: at the Thessaloniki International Book Fair, at exhibitions in Europe and worldwide, but also in the ambitious new project being planned jointly — the International Children and Young Adults Book Fair in Patras, funded by the Ministry of Culture and the Region of Western Greece. Today, HFBC is no longer a promise.

It is the present.

And above all, it is the future!”

The Deputy Minister of Culture of the Republic of Bulgaria, Victor Stoyanov, stated:

“Over the last decade, Bulgarian literature has been gaining increasing international visibility. Prominent voices of modern Bulgarian prose are winning global recognition, with numerous translations being published in various languages. Bulgarian literature is proud of Georgi Gospodinov’s International Booker Prize (2023), as well as the selection of Rene Karabash for the shortlist of the same prize (2026). In 2024, 2025, and 2026, dozens of novels, poetry collections, and short stories were published in many languages around the world. Bulgarian authors and their translators are becoming more widely known domestically and abroad through EUPL awards and PEN nominations, while talented illustrators participate in major cultural events and international book fairs.

As the Guest of Honour, we have designed a literary program built around the idea that promoting authors who write in underrepresented languages is a collective effort. For over two decades, Bulgaria has established talent-scouting programs, translator academies, literary festivals, and exchange programs. Our festivals, such as the Sofia International Literary Festival held every December, the Black Sea Festival, and “Plovdiv Reads”, attract growing interest from authors, publishers, and cultural professionals internationally. We believe that all the above have contributed decisively to the global interest that now exists for Bulgarian literature. This new reality will be presented and highlighted during the Thessaloniki Book Fair in May 2026.

For the 22nd edition of the Book Fair, we focused on inviting prominent names of our modern literary scene who are established in our country and have recently been translated into Greek, such as Teodora Dimova, Elena Alexieva, Rene Karabash, Ina Valchanova, and Iana Boukova. We will also have with us two of the most important children’s book authors: Zornitsa Hristova, an award-winning author, translator, and publisher whose works have been translated into dozens of languages, and Kapka Kaneva, one of the most well-known illustrators and designers on the modern Bulgarian scene.

Bulgaria’s participation as Guest of Honour includes presentations of the modern Bulgarian literary landscape, a comprehensive market overview, publishing trends, grant opportunities, and funding programs. Ten publishers from Bulgaria will participate in the professional program of the Thessaloniki International Book Fair, giving Greek authors active in prose, children’s books, poetry, and non-fiction the opportunity to gain greater visibility in Bulgaria through more translations of Greek titles into Bulgarian”.

The President of HFBC, Nikos Bakounakis, stated:

“During its year and a half of operation, HFBC has become the undisputed institution for books and book policies in Greece. Throughout this period, HFBC has enjoyed the multifaceted and invaluable support of the Minister of Culture, Ms. Lina Mendoni, as well as her personal interest. I thank her. HFBC is the country’s leading institution for books, with resources and actions allocated to financial tools for book promotion such as GreekLit, infrastructures such as the new Biblionet, large-scale initiatives such as Reading Culture, TBF, and International Book Fairs, while also creating and supporting residency programs in institutional collaboration with dozens of national and local public and private bodies. I am delighted that its relocation in this stunning building, granted by the Ministry of Culture in the historic area of Kerameikos, also marks the symbolic return of books to the city center.”