The biggest book fair in the Baltic countries and one of the main Lithuanian culture events, the Vilnius Book Fair will celebrate its 10-year anniversary as Vilnius becomes the European capital of culture in 2009. Traditionally it will take place on February 12-15, 2009 at the Lithuanian Exhibition Centre „Litexpo“.

Making a start in 2000, Vilnius Book Fair quite soon became a very popular event, and now its name is mentioned among the most famous European book fairs. The Vilnius Book Fair is mainly devoted to the reader, this gives a chance to the Lithuanian and foreign authors to meet their audience live. One more distinctive feature of the Vilnius Book Fair is the abundance of cultural events the number of which taking place from the morning till night every day, is over 200.

Among the prominent guests of the Vilnius Book Fair were Jonas Mekas, Alessandro Baricco, Frederic Beigbeder, Maxence Fermine, Melvin Burgess, Niccolo Ammanitti, Colleen McCullough, Herbjorg Wasmo, Rein Raud, Aleksandra Marinina, Torgrim Eggen, Frank McCourt, John Irwing and many others.

The Vilnius Book Fair 2009 will be dedicated to mark the two special occasions for Lithuania – Vilnius-the European capital of culture and the Millenium of the name of Lithuania.

The organizers of the Vilnius Book Fair are Lithuanian Exhibition Centre “Litexpo”, Lithuanian Publishers’ Association and the public institution “Books from Lithuania”. The cultural programme is supported by the Lithuanian Ministry of Culture.