On Monday 19. April 2010 at UNESCO headquarters in Paris the City of Ljubljana is to unveil its programme as World Book Capital 2010 to the global public.

Participants in the presentation are to be initially addressed by UNESCO General Director Irina Bokova, Minister of Culture Majda Širca, the Republic of Slovenia's ambassador to UNESCO Dr Janez Šumrada as well as the Head of the City of Ljubljana's Department of Culture Dr Uroš Grilc.

Following these introductory speeches, attendees will be addressed by Dr Slavoj Žižek, one of the top three Slovene authors, who is paying particular attention to Ljubljana as World Book Capital.

Stage actor Branko Završan, who won the 2009 Župančič Prize, the City of Ljubljana's highest award in the field of culture, will appear in an accompanying cultural programme.

Branko Završan is to showcase his own artistic work 'The Shadow of your Dog', in which he has translated and written lyrics to songs by Jacques Brel and his subtle interpretations create an unforgettable portrait of one of the greatest stage singers of our time. He is to be joined on stage by musicians Uroš Rakovec (guitar), Žiga Golob (bass) and Krunoslav Levačić (drums) and flirting with the boundaries between jazz, folk songs and contemporary original music reviving Brel and Završan's lyrics.

 

Ljubljana, bearer of the title UNESCO 'World Book Capital' 2010

Ljubljana is to hold the title of UNESCO 'World Book Capital' 2010 from 23 April 2010 to 23 April 2011. The City of Ljubljana began to prepare the project as early as June 2008, when UNESCO selected Ljubljana's candidacy as the best and pronounced it World Book Capital 2010.

The UNESCO commission that granted the title emphasised that Ljubljana was selected for its having "carefully prepared the application and the rich and coherent programme that enjoys the broad and passionate support of all the players in the book market: publishers, booksellers and librarians and is geared towards the promotion of books and to encourage reading".

More than 500 events are planned to take place in Ljubljana in the framework of the programme which is designed to encourage reading, develop reading culture, increase access to books, and showcase literary genres and world literature. Foremost amongst them are the Festival of Global Literature Fabula ('Plot') 2010, which will bring together writers from every continent, the World Book Summit, which is to bring together renowned experts and researchers as well as the 'Books for Everyone' project, in which we have supported the publication of 21 books of various genres in high circulation (8,000 copies) and at a price of just €3 per book.

In Ljubljana's programme as 'World Book Capital' 2010, which has the support of the Slovenian Ministry of Culture and the Republic of Slovenia's Public Agency for Books, very many events will be held by non-governmental organizations and institutes in the fields of culture, science and research, which were selected by public tender; part of the programme is to be produced in partnership with other Slovenian towns and foreign embassies in Ljubljana.

Further information about Ljubljana, World Book Capital, may be obtained at www.ljubljanasvetovnaprestolnicaknjige.si.