Tbilisi Becomes World Book Capital 2021 on April 23

The Director-General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay, named Tbilisi (Georgia) World Book Capital for the year 2021, based on the recommendation of the World Book Capital Advisory Committee, which met in Switzerland in June 2019.

The joint project by Tbilisi City Hall and UNESCO will take place at Silk Factory Studio on April 23rd.

After an official opening ceremony, the costumed performance will be held, which unites 10 scenes from history of Georgian literature from the pre-Christian era to the twentieth century led by Davit Gabunia, Uta Bekaia, Natia Chikvaidze, Nika Machaidze, and Tusia Beridze.

The second part of the opening will be dedicated to contemporary authors. Photo-audio project with the participation of thirteen Georgian authors will be presented. In addition, the guests of the event will see a short sketch about Guram Dochanashvili.

Around the slogan Ok. So your next book is…? the World Book Capital programme focuses on the use of modern technologies as powerful tools for the promotion of reading among young people.

The programme comprises several important, large-scale and sustainable activities involving libraries and a book festival for children, a state-of-the-art digital project for transforming books into games, and the rebuilding of the first Georgian publishing house.

Specifically designed for children, youngsters and readers who have limited access to books, the programme of activities will be driven by innovation. The city's principal objective is to popularize reading and increase accessibility to books throughout society.