Bookfest, Romanian book festival taking place in Bucharest, was opened night and day for the literature lovers and bookworms. 13,700 square meters accommodated some 150 book stands, packed with over 25,000 titles, four concerts, 11 films previously screened at Transilvania International Film Festival (TIFF) and much more special events.
The set-up was identical with the way the fair was organised last year, so helped with finding one's way between launching areas and book stands. Despite that the book fair is a five pavilion labyrinth, getting lost can be quite a challenge.The fair had its share of "luxury" stands - stands 15 and 16 A and B would make anyone gaze for longer. Pavilions 16 and 17, (C and D) have some sort of book market display. Pavilion 13 (E) was reserved for concerts and screenings.Many readers come to the fair for pavilions C and D - some books, like the one edited by universities, can be bought at book fairs, but cannot be found in libraries.The book fair was quite accessible during the week, with the most readers expected to pack the place for the weekend. The publishers were happy with the sales. Some publishers organised a book launch every half an hour. Others scheduled two talks a day, allowing the speakers to take their time. HotNews notes the speakers team made up of Livius Ciocârlie-Mircea and Martin-Paul Cernat, speaking during the launch of Antoine Compagnon's "Anti-modernists" ("Antimodernii"). Another "team" was met Andrei Cornea, Sorin Vieru, Dan C. Mihăilescu, Ioana Pârvulescu and Emil Hurezeanu, but the latter challenged the public's patience by talking for 40 minutes. Book launches were: pretentious, with 6 speakers for one book; sober, with an academic air; fast, with six books and one speaker; interminable and paranoiac, like a retired persons’ rally on the King's birthday in the University square; interminable and bo
