The countdown is on for the Greek capital to embark on a year-long creative journey of activities that promote reading, culture and knowledge.

Beginning April 23, Athens will be the designated by UNESCO World Book Capital for 2018, assuming the mission of bringing … “books everywhere” – as the initiative’s slogan promises – and making reading accessible to the whole population, including migrant and refugee communities.

People from all over Greece, as well as visitors, will be invited to partake in events that honour the reading experience, enjoy the country’s rich literary tradition but also discover some less-known cultural treasures of Athens in the sites where learning takes place: libraries, institutes, festivals, gatherings and many more.

“Athens being ‘World Book Capital 2018’ will help us remember why we love books, recommend the joy of reading to others and discover unexpected reading experiences,” says the coordinator of the initiative, Yiannis Trohopoulos, adding that the intercultural actions of this major event will help promote a better understanding of different cultures and the value literary traditions of different people add to our global cultural heritage.

In preparation for the event, the city of Athens has joined forces with more than 30 institutions, foundations, libraries and cultural sites, among others, to develop a program for all tastes.

Activities include informal book readings in outdoors locations across the city for passers-by, seminars and conferences, workshops and competitions for both kids and adults, the launch of mobile libraries, as well as roundtable discussions with local and international authors.

‘World Book Capital’ is a global UNESCO cultural event with an 18-year long tradition. The title is nominated every year to a different city, with the first one being Madrid in 2001.

Athens was chosen on the basis of its “cultural infrastructure” and “proven expertise in organising international events”, following the recommendation put forward by an advisory committee comprising international book industry and UNESCO representatives.

Now is the time for the Greek capital to meet these expectations and showcase its contribution in the global literary scene.

In the words of mayor Yiorgos Kaminis “Athens this year has the opportunity to certify that it is one of the most important destinations of culture, knowledge and history”.

The implementation of the ‘Athens 2018 World Book Capital’ activities will run from 23 April 2018 to 22 April 2019.

More information can be found on the official website https://athens2018.gr/language/en/