Tbilisi International Book Festival dates back to 1998 and has been held annually ever since. It is one of the most popular and sought-after cultural events in Georgia, gaining fast-growing public interest year after year. The festival has welcomed up to 100 000 guests in recent years.
The main objectives of TIBF are popularizing reading in Georgia, assisting the development of the publishing sector, enhancing international relations, and promoting literary processes. Over the years, the festival has made consistent and significant contributions to this very cause, as seen in the figures: up to 100 000 attendees, 40 media outlets, and 200 participants, including a large number of international guests, have participated in the festival. Local and foreign publishers, booksellers, embassies, state museums, institutions, international organizations, and foundations are traditionally represented at TIBF, arranging a wide array of activities – presentation of new books, meetings with authors, discussions, conferences, award ceremonies – all of which makes TIBF much more than just a trade fair, but both a vibrant business hub and a creative workshop space. Throughout its history, the festival has grown rapidly in size and scope and has become one of the largest and the most dynamic book festival in the Caucasus region.
Tbilisi International Book Festival has introduced the program of the Focus Country, designed to provide the festival with special, rich, and distinctive cultural content, launching or strengthening business relations between the book industries of the host and focus countries. As a result, dozens of translations have been initiated during the festival, distinctive partnerships have been established between Georgian and focus country publishers. In 2017, Norway became the first-ever Focus Country at TIBF, which received the Guest of Honor status at the Frankfurt Book Fair in 2018 from Georgia. The focus countries in the years 2018 and 2019 were Germany and Finland, respectively. Turkey had ought to be the Focus Country at TIBF 2020, however, due to the pandemic, they use the given status at the 2022 festival. Focus Country for 25th TIBF will be Poland.
TIBF brings together all the book, literature, and literary/publishing business-related activities; the Association and Publishers plan the presentations of recently published books, public readings, a guest of honor presentation, literary awards, and many other activities at the main stage. First held in 2019, the Publishers International Conference has become a traditional part of the festival and will focus on the most urgent and important issues and points of the International and Georgian book sector. Other key elements of the festival include an exhibition space, specially created for different arts and activities, offering a glimpse into the world of books and their illustrations; Children’s Section, presenting entertaining, educational programs, lotteries, theatrical performances, animators, and public readings, specifically targeted towards children of different ages. Moreover, TIBF has initiated an innovative project “Actors for Literature”, hosting famous Georgian film and theatre actors, presenting books, and leading artistic readings. The program usually gains a lot of spectators and significantly contributes to promoting reading in Georgia.
Tbilisi International Book Festival is held every year at the events venue Expo Georgia, however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 22nd festival was held in a virtual mode. The festival was livestreamed with its traditional format and included an updated program. The online exhibition and sale of books proved to be a big success. By the decision of the GPBA, the 23rd festival was returned to in-person format in full compliance with the co-regulations. In 2022, the book festival returned to the traditional format.
Tbilisi International Book Festival is organized annually by the Georgian Publishers and Booksellers Association.
