Turkey honorary guest at Podgorica Book Fair

Turkey is the honorary guest of the Podgorica Book Fair in Montenegro, which began on Tuesday. Organized by the Yunus Emre Institute's Podgorica-based Turkish Culture Center, the leading names of Turkish literature have been participating in exhibitions, conferences, discussions and autograph sessions. The guest authors include acclaimed author İskender Pala, Sadık Yalsızuçanlar and poet and author Yağmur Tunalı. Aside from Turkish writers and poets, Alexandra Potter is attending from the U.K.

Commencing with the opening speech of Pala, the fair continued with a literature panel headed by Yalsızuçanlar. The opening ceremony was attended by representatives of 20 TV channels and six newspapers, and was broadcasted on the state-run channel of Montenegro.

Today, Tunalı will host a press conference and panel session, while experienced book binder İslam Seçen is expected to give a conference on "Bookbinding in the Ottoman Empire" tomorrow.

Visitors enjoy learning more about Turkish culture at the fair. The program "Nakkaşhane: Osmanlı Sarayında Kitabın Serüveni" (Illumination Workshop: The Journey of a Book at the Ottoman Palace) will demonstrate how books were designed using traditional forms prior to publication. Extending over an area of 22-square-meters, a special section has been allocated to the program, which offers visitors the chance to experience calligraphy, book-binding and ink use. During the workshops, they will also practice the traditional art of marbling. Artist Gözde Kıyıcı is showcasing her work, including miniatures, marbling and naht (wood carving art), at the exhibition "Zer Nigar." The exhibition will be open throughout the fair, and visitors can also taste traditional Turkish coffee and tea.

Each year, the fair is visited by almost 30,000 people. More than 70 publishing houses and 39 authors are attending this year's Fair. Spread across a 200-square-meter area, the prestigious examples of Turkish literature and the books translated as part of the Translation and Publication Program of Turkey (TEDA) are on display for bibliophiles.