29 countries will take part in the Minsk International Book Fair

18th Minsk International Book Fair will be taking place without the Nobel Prize winner in Literature Sviatlana Alexievich.

According to the Belarusian information minister Lilia Ananich, the number of participants reached 29 countries. Among them are Azerbaijan, Russia, Ukraine, the UK, Venezuela, Italy, Palestine, Turkey, Finland, France, the Czech Republic, Switzerland, the United States, Ecuador and others. Armenia will be the Guest of Honor this year.

In 2016, the fair will be dedicated to several key dates, i.e. the quincentenary of the Belarusian printing, the 30th anniversary of the Chernobyl disaster, the 25th anniversary of the Community of Independent States, and to the previously declared Year of Culture, the information minister said.

However, the organizers of Minsk International Book Fair do not seem to have planned any special event in honor of Nobel Prize winner Sviatlana Alexievich, Belsat informs.

When asked about Alexievich’s presence at the book fair, Lilia Ananich found an excuse saying that it is the Russian publishing house ‘Vremya’ that holds rights to books by Alexievich. The house is going to present her works at their stand, the official added.

The 18th Minsk International Book Fair is to be held on February, 1-14. The forum is organized by the Information Ministry and the Minsk City Executive Committee. The exhibition will be held at the BelEXPO center in 14 Pobeditelei Avenue.