Geneva hosts international book fair

The Palexpo exhibition centre at Geneva is expected to receive some 120,000 visitors at this year's international book fair, which begins on Wednesday. The guest country is Germany, birthplace of the man regarded as the father of modern printing.

Since it was first held in 1987, the “Salon International du Livre et de la Presse” has become an important showcase for publishers and other sectors of the book world.

By inviting Germany as guest of honour, the fair is paying tribute to a country which is second only to China in the number of new books published annually.

Throughout the fair there will be workshops, discussions, lectures and exhibitions devoted to various aspects of books and publishing in Germany, where in the mid-15th century Johannes Gutenberg pioneered new techniques for the mass production of books.

Elsewhere in Palexpo, books and other publications will be featured in many other languages. Special exhibitions also cover a multitude of themes. One of them – “The Wind, Sand and Stars” – marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of the French aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.

Other subjects include the origins of the alphabet, the art of Hebrew calligraphy, and even the science of statistics.

swissinfo with agencies