The 4th International Professional Program of the 22nd Thessaloniki International Book Fair brings together publishers, authors, literary agents, translators, representatives of organizations involved in the promotion of reading from all over the world and publishing professionals from all over the world, with the aim of exchanging ideas, creating partnerships and exploring new opportunities in the global publishing landscape.
It is organized in the DIALOGOS Hall (Pavilion 15, HELEXPO Exhibition Center). This year, 40 participants from around the world (USA, UK, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Armenia, Czech Republic, Germany, Slovenia, Egypt, Poland, Sweden, Turkey and of course Bulgaria, as an honored country) will contribute with their ideas and knowledge in the field of buying and selling rights, Artificial Intelligence, the development of Philanthropy, translation projects.
Designed for professionals in the field, the International Professional Program offers a platform for dialogue, knowledge exchange and meaningful connections that enhance cross-border collaboration and support the global circulation of books and ideas.
Explore the sections and discover the events that interest you.
Saturday 9 May 2026
8 events
11:00–12:00
11:00–12:00Why Children’s Books are a Serious Business
Vangelis Iliopoulos, President of Greek IBBY, Author, Educator; Panos Christodoulou, Director of the Network for Children's Rights; Vasiliki Nika, Faculty Member, Laboratory Teaching Staff, Department of Primary Education – University of Athens, Translator; Grigoris Abatzoglou, Child Psychiatrist, Professor Emeritus of Child Psychiatry – Aristotle University of Thessaloniki; Elena Pataki, Publisher (Patakis Publications)
12:00–13:00
12:00–13:00Picturebooks in Children’s Literature
13:00–14:00
13:00–14:00Regional Bookstores: Cultural Hubs
14:00–15:00
14:00–15:00EUPL / European Union Prize for Literature & Translation
15:00–16:00
15:00–16:00Sports, Cinema, Music: Gateways to Reading
16:00–17:00
16:00–17:00Buying and selling children’s rights: illustration, copyright, and licensing
17:00–18:00
17:00–18:00Investing in reading; successful reading promotion initiatives by EURead members in Bulgaria, Sweden and Greece
Valentina Stoeva (Reading Foundation, Bulgaria), Lovisa Fhager Logothetis (Bonnier Family Foundation, Sweden), and Ava Chalkiadaki (Diavazontas Megalono, Greece)17:00–18:00What is Ex Libris? – History and Modern Applications – The Book as an Object of Memory and Personal Identity
Angeliki Bozou, Artist & Illustrator; Eleni Tsaldiri, Artist & Author; Lela Stroutsi, Illustrator & Author, Board Member of Greek IBBY
Meet the publishing professionals participating in the TBF Fellowship 2026 Program, coming from all over the book world.
The Thessaloniki International Book Fair is organized by the Hellenic Foundation for Books and Culture in collaboration with the TIF-HELEXPO, the Greek publishers and the Municipality of Thessaloniki, with the support of the Ministry of Culture and the Region of Central Macedonia. It is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund, as part of the Central Macedonia Regional Operational Programme 2021-2027. TBH is a member of the International Book Fairs Forum and the European Book Fairs Network ALDUS UP.
