Cover photo © Credits to: Facebook / Slovenian Music, Art & Culture
Cover photo © Credits to: Facebook / Slovenian Music, Art & Culture

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Slovene Book Days Festival: where literature lives

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If you are a fan of literature, enjoy reading good books and discovering new authors, then this unique book festival in Ljubljana is the place for you. The Slovene Book Days Festival is an annual event organized in May by the Slovene Writers' Association. Its main goal is to celebrate and give meaning to the written word and book production, as well as help literature and other artistic genres live in the hearts of people. 

Picture © Credits to: iStock / Pokec
Picture © Credits to: iStock / Pokec

Great books for a low price

In the year 2019, the Slovene Book Days Festival changed its destination and was held on the platform in front of the Museum of Modern Art Ljubljana for the first time. During the festival, you are able to purchase a large amount of books from different genres, as well as all of the books from one of the oldest publishing houses in Slovenia, Slovenska matica, with a special discount. A selection of some of the older books of the society is also available, at a symbolic price of just 5 euros. You will get a chance to observe and listen to interesting talks about literature with various authors and experts. The book fair is also accompanied by daily literary readings, book launches, concerts, workshops, performances, book presentations, discussions, and a rich cultural entertainment programme. 

Picture © Credits to: Facebook / Slovenski dnevi knjige
Picture © Credits to: Facebook / Slovenski dnevi knjige

Not only in Ljubljana

The authors whose books are available at the book fair are some of the best-established writers, coming from Europe and the wider area. Their works consist of personal or fictional stories about realistic and intimate moments, including a wide range of happy, sad, tragic, hurtful and many other feelings. Their stories bring together not only professionals working in the field of literature but also common public and intellectuals, who are touched by their work and enjoy rediscovering the astonishing world of literature. Slovene Book Day Festival doesn’t only take place in Ljubljana, but also in other cities all over Slovenia, like the city of Maribor with the treasure of the oldest vine in the world, or Celje and its medieval castle. The book fair also takes place in Koper, Novo mesto and other places. So, don’t worry if you won’t be in the capital at the time of the festival. You will always have a chance to explore at a smaller scale in some of the other charming Slovenian towns.

Picture © Credits to: iStock / Bosca78
Picture © Credits to: iStock / Bosca78

The importance of literature in today’s world is often neglected, which is why it is crucial that we give it the attention that it deserves. We can do that by visiting and supporting events like the Slovene Book Days Festival, where you can get to know Slovenian and foreign authors, like the greatest Slovenian writer Ivan Cankar and find inspiration, creativity and knowledge to help us form our opinions about the world. 

Slovene Book Days Festival
Slovene Book Days Festival
Cankarjeva cesta 15, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia

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The author

Karmen Kovac

Karmen Kovac

I am Karmen and I come a green country in Central Europe, Slovenia. I enjoy travelling, getting to know new cultures and learning about myself and the world. On itinari, I will write about beautiful places, unique traditions and other exciting experiences of my home country.

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