Jerusalem International Book Fair

The Jerusalem International Book Fair (JIBF) is a business fair and literary festival co-founded by Asher Weill in 1963.[1] It takes place in Jerusalem in the winter every two years. It is the occasion for award of the Jerusalem Prize.

The fourth Jerusalem book fair, in the International Convention Center, 1969.
Teddy Kollek (center) visits the Steimatzky stand at the 1969 Jerusalem International Book Fair. Eri Steimatzky is on the right.
The 2006 Jerusalem International Book Fair.

Location

The Fair was annually held in Jerusalem's International Convention Center (Binyanei Hauma) from 1963 until 2015. Since 2015 it is spread across a number of cultural institutions supported by the Jerusalem Foundation, such as Mishkenot Sha'ananim, the Jerusalem Cinematheque and Khan Theatre.[2]

Operations

The Fair aims to promote Israeli literature in international publishing and expose contemporary international literature to the Israeli public. More than 100,000 books are on display. Admission is free to the public.[3]

Those attending include about 600 publishers and authors from over 30 countries, in addition to agents, sales personnel, and international human rights representatives. One of the Fair's public events, the "Literary Cafe", offers open encounters between Israeli and foreign writers in a café.

Awards

One of the Fair's important events is the awarding of the Jerusalem Prize[4] to a writer whose work best expresses and promotes the idea of the freedom of the individual in society. The Jerusalem Prize has in fact been awarded to five writers who afterwards received the Nobel Prize for literature. It was awarded to the American playwright Arthur Miller in 2003 [5] and to the British writer Ian McEwan in 2011.[6]

The Fair's Editorial and Agent Fellowship Programs invites a group of young editors and agents to attend the Fair, providing them with an opportunity to meet their international contemporaries.

References
  1. "Books in the Shadow of Peace". www.publishersweekly.com. Retrieved 2020-01-13.
  2. "Jerusalem International Book Fair". Jerusalem Foundation. Archived from the original on 16 April 2015. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  3. "Jerusalem Book Fair". Jerusalem Municipality. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  4. "27th Jerusalem International Book Fair", Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 29 October 2014
  5. , Haaretz, 10 April 2003
  6. "Ian McEwan says he will accept Jerusalem prize", The Guardian, 19 January 2011
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