The 21st Moscow International Book Fair gathers publishers from all over the world, and working there is a necessary part of gaining access to the international book market. This year over 30 countries will take part in the fair. It has become a tradition to designate one of the participating countries as the guest of honor. Last year the People’s Republic of China was honored this way. The Chinese book stands covered nearly 1,000 square meters, the largest exhibit ever put on by a guest country during the entire history of the Moscow Book Fair.
This year Ukraine is the guest of honor in Moscow. The Ukrainian government instructed the State Committee of TV and Radio Broadcasting of Ukraine to organize and hold all Ukrainian events at the fair. The Day asked the head of the department of publishing and press at the State Committee of TV and Radio Broadcasting, Valentyna Babyliulko, to talk about the preparations for the book fair in Russia.
“It is a special mission to be the guest of honor. This is recognition of a state as a book state. This is the third time since independence that Ukraine has been honored like this. Last year – the Year of Ukrainian Books – our country was the guest of honor at international book forums in Minsk and Warsaw. So we already have a lot of experience participating in such events.
“In Moscow we have the unique possibility to locate our stands in the separate, 58th, pavilion of the All-Russia Exhibit Complex, better known as the VDNKh (Exhibition of Economic Achievements). It was no accident that the organizing committee made this decision because the exposition of Ukraine’s achievements used to be located there, and the pavilion was called ‘Ukraine.’ Today it is rented by Russian businessmen. The total area of the pavilion is over 1,500 square meters.
“This is a unique occasion for showcasing our books and holding numerous presentations. There is a special art-zone where advertisements will be placed. I hope the Ukrainian book stands in our pavilion serve as a step towards the revival of Ukraine’s representation in this huge Russian complex. The Armenian pavilion is already operating there and the Belarusian pavilion is under reconstruction.”
Are Ukrainian publishers aiming to acquire business contacts at the fair or is Ukraine’s participation mainly to develop its image?
“We expect not only image but also economic spin-offs from each exhibition in which we take part. The State Television and Radio Broadcasting Committee creates conditions so that our publishing houses will obtain these kinds of results. We hope that in Moscow contracts will be signed between publishers and buyers. The leading Ukrainian publishing houses have submitted their best authors and are counting on selling publishing rights. Russia, specifically Moscow, has quite a large Ukrainian community, so I think there will be a demand for Ukrainian books. I hope that after the fair ends the export of Ukrainian books to the Russian market will become more active. Today there is a lot of discussion about how to combat Russian books on the Ukrainian market. We can do this only through competition, by conquering other countries’ markets with our books. Our exhibit will help propel Ukrainian books into the Russian market. Modern literature has to be translated into other languages so that foreign readers can learn more about Ukraine.
“For the first time this year we included contemporary authors in the official delegation. One of them is Andrey Kurkov, whose books are read not only in Ukraine and Russia but in European countries as well. There is also Iren Rozdobudko, who writes wonderful books for both adults and children. Her series of books Lives of Famous Children will be presented at the exhibit. The Ukrainian delegation also includes Shevchenko Prize winner Maria Matios, whose psychological prose is closely connected with the most controversial and complex pages of Ukrainian history, the short story author Halyna Tarasiuk, the young and promising prose writers Natalka Sniadanko and Artem Chekh, and others. Numerous book launches and autograph sessions will take place. Roundtables on domestic book publishing and problems of reading in post-Soviet countries will take place with Ukrainian writers in attendance.”
Which Ukrainian publishers will have stands at the book fair?
“One of them is the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy Publishing House. It specializes in books on history and state building. The Mystetstvo Publishing House will present their peerless art albums on Kyiv and Ukrainian costumes. The Veselka Publishing House will be there; it publishes wonderful children’s books. The Baltia-Druk and Lybid publishing houses will have their stands. The Hrani-T Publishing House will really be celebrating: this year it won the Grand-Prix at the Book Art International Competition (part of the Moscow Book Fair) for Hohol’s The Petersburg Stories. The book was illustrated by the Ukrainian artist Yurii Charyshnikov, who is now living in the United States. The artist became so enthralled by the great writer’s work that it seems as though Hohol made these illustrations. They were done 20 years ago on commission from another publishing house, but people did not understand them at the time because they were too surrealistic. The illustrations have been worthily appraised only now.”
Being the guest of honor means a more diverse program of events. How are you planning to surprise the guests and participants of the Moscow Book Fair?
“Ukraine will try to present its culture not only through books but art works, songs, folklore, and photo illustrations that will cover Ukraine’s economic and political development. We are glad that The Day has become a partner of the State Television and Radio Broadcasting Committee. The newspaper will display its Library Series at the fair and hold an exhibit of its photos that I hope will tell Russians and their guests more about Ukraine than all the Russian mass media combined.
“A contemporary orchestra from Ukraine’s National Radio Company, called the Oleksandr Fokin Radio Band, will perform a concert on the main fairground. The Skrynia Duet — Merited Artists of Ukraine Maria and Volodymyr Labruk from Chernivtsi — will provide Ukrainian color at the fair.
“But books, of course, are the most important part of the exhibition. These are books written in Ukraine’s state language and the languages of national minorities living in Ukraine. The presence of Ukrainian books at the Moscow fair is proof that our publishing industry is developing and that we have been improving steadily and stably. Compared to the 1990s, book publishing in Ukraine has doubled. Today there are 1.2 books per capita in our country. Of course, this index cannot satisfy society’s intellectual needs. But every year things are improving thanks to improved legislation and state support, which extends the benefit period for Ukrainian publishers and allots money for publishing books within the framework of the Ukrainian Book Project.
“The state also finances such projects as the participation of Ukrainian publishers in international exhibitions. This support is crucial because stands are expensive, and our publishing houses would not be able to afford to attend important international book forums.”
