Eighth Bookfest showcases newest titles
The most prominent publishing houses from Romania and the Republic of Moldova will participate in the Bookfest International Book Fair, which is being held for the eighth consecutive time in Chisinau from September 3 to 7. Visitors will have the chance to meet authors, attend book launches, and purchase books at promotional prices.
At Bookfest-Chisinau, book lovers will have the opportunity to explore the latest titles from their favorite authors and engage in conversations with them, including Mircea Cărtărescu, Tatiana Țîbuleac, Dumitru Crudu, Ionela Hadârcă, Radu Paraschivescu, Denisa Comănescu, and Cristian Preda.
“We received invaluable support from the customs authorities in both the Republic of Moldova and Romania, thanks to the ATA Carnet, which facilitated the transportation of the books for this event,” stated Sergiu Harea, president of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Moldova.
In addition to celebrating literature, the Bookfest organizers addressed several important issues related to publishing and promoting books.
“In a time when costs are increasing—paper, printing, and all related services—the price of books cannot decrease, but it also cannot rise too much,” mentioned Minister of Culture, Sergiu Prodan.
“You can benefit from VAT-exempt prices, even though VAT has been on the rise in Romania since August 1. While the Republic of Moldova has managed to maintain a zero VAT on books, I both congratulate and envy you for that; in Romania, we have seen VAT increase from 5 percent to 11 percent,” said Mihai Mitrică, director of the Romanian Publishers Association.
“Publishers in the Republic of Moldova also feel the impact, as no serious publishing house today operates without entering the Romanian market. Those who import books are subjected to an 11% VAT,” noted Gheorghe Prini, president of the Publishers Union of the Republic of Moldova.
Despite these challenges, the eighth edition of Bookfest-Chisinau is set to be spectacular, featuring a significant number of book launches, author meetings, discussions about the role of literature in Europe, and attractive promotional prices. Importantly, at the end of Bookfest, over 30 publishing houses from both sides of the Prut will donate books.
“We take our responsibility seriously towards public libraries in the country. We aim to distribute the donated books during Bookfest to libraries where there is a great need for Romanian literature,” stated Elena Pintilei, director of the National Library.
Bookfest Chisinau is financed by the Department for Relations with the Republic of Moldova within the Romanian Government and enjoys the partnership of the Ministries of Culture from both Moldova and Romania.
