On 17 March 2016, the Paris Book Fair (“Salon du livre”) will open its doors for the 36th time at the Parc des Expositions de la Porte de Versailles in Paris. This major event in the publishing world has altered its appearance, and changed its name to “Livre Paris”.
The fair’s first morning, as every year, will be reserved for professionals from the publishing industry, before opening its doors to the general public. Paris Livre 2016 will welcome visitors until Sunday 20 March, including the evening session (until 10 pm) on Thursday 17 March 2016.
To mark the fairs continuity, but also to underline its changes, Livre Paris will bring itself to an ”outdoor audience”. The weekend preceding the fair (12 and 13 March), a book alley 600 metres long, stretching from the Pont de la Concorde to the Léopold-Sédar-Songhor footbridge, will whet the appetite, or prolong this educational and fun experience. “Books by the Seine” (Livre en Seine), is free of charge and open to everyone from 17 March at the Porte de Versailles!
The publishing world’s key event changes its name to “Livre Paris” 2016
The change of name is not insignificant, and reflects a veritable transformation. Certainly, the thousands of works presented, the hundreds of authors, the countless publishers and editors will continue to stimulate the passages of the Parc des Expos de la Porte de Versailles during the 4 days. Livre Paris 2016 has reimagined itself as a place of wonder and amazement.
The new layout of this Parisian event is set around 4 thematic squares. This arrangement, however, will not hinder the interaction and the bridges between these different universes.
- Culinary Square
- Knowledge and Understanding Square
- Children’s Square
- Religions, Culture and Society Square
Livre Paris 2016, an event with two dynamic and eclectic stages
Two stages will complete the publishing world’s key event. Promising some excellent encounters, the literary stage will present all kinds of works, but also thoughts and reflections on the book’s future. The innovative second stage will be devoted to comics and is certain to fulfil the high expectations of readers and/or fans of mangas, and other works of this 9th art form in full transformation.
Livre Paris 2016 promises an unexpected programme throughout its 4 days of the book’s celebration, and equipped with 2 stages, it will recount the book world’s current news and events with the help of numerous authors and/or publishers, particularly during the evening session on Thursday 17 March.The fair’s stages will help in achieving the ambitious objective of making books more dynamic and in step with today’s society.
Resist to open itself to new readers, and explore new horizons
If Livre Paris 2016 ensures, as in previous editions, an unrivalled eclecticism and a large diversity in the books presented as well as in its proposed events, the fair is still linked by a common thread. Resistance is the key word in 2016.
A resistance encompassing book culture and its future, the transmittance and sharing of values, and a resistance to withdrawing into itself. It’s an ambitious goal and with this approach, it aims at restoring writing to its former glory.
This resistance is more than just empty words or a metaphor for the book fair, but a real frame of mind. Is it not only to resist, and to open itself to others that this event pursues its literary world tour? This year, 2016, South Korea will be honoured and no less than 30 South Korean authors will represent their country’s literary wealth, one of the most important on the Asian continent.
As resisting also implies accepting differences, Livre Paris 2016 will also be welcoming 22 Congolese authors, who have come to celebrate the cities of Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire in the Republic of the Congo.
This year’s guest city, Constatine, the Arab Capital of Culture until April 2016, will be at the centre of this event and the 20 invited Algerian authors are determined to showcase the riches of their Algeria.
By choosing a new name, Livre Paris 2016 is adapting itself to its visitor’s new expectations. Coupled with these changes and innovations, the event is eagerly awaited, nonetheless by publishing professionals and book lovers alike. It may have changed its name and form somewhat, but the book fair has not changed its contents, and demonstrates a perfect… Resistance.
