The Hellenic Foundation for Culture announced a new emblematic collaboration by inviting “GREECE IN USA” to the 19th edition of the Thessaloniki International Book Fair that will take place from May 4 to 7, 2023 at the facilities of the TIF-Helexpo International Exhibition Center, honoring American Literature (USA).
The Hellenic Foundation for Culture organizes the Book Fair in partnership with the Greek publishers, HELEXPO, the Region of Central Macedonia, the Municipality of Thessaloniki, with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Sports and invites the American organization “GREECE IN USA” to Thessaloniki since the cultural activities of the non-profit are promoted by the Hellenic-American Chamber of Commerce and are under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture. The American Focus of the fair and the entire program is underwritten by the Hellenic-American Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with its Culture Committee and commissioned by the Hellenic Foundation for Culture.
The primary mission is to highlight contemporary literary voices and the American book market, through the participation of authors and publishers, university presses, and cultural and literary figures. In this context, the participation of “GREECE IN USA” is catalytic for the Book Fair, since the non profit launched in April the first Residency program for American writers and artists entitled the “Library Residency” at Panepistimiou street, in Athens, and its partnership in New York with the publishing house Eris Art.
This partnership promotes collaborations between Greek and American writers and artists within the framework of a new publication on the work of distinguished Greek-American visual artist Lucas Samaras by Michalis Skafidas, and the publications of Andres Serrano, one of the most distinguished American artists, as well as the American poet and professor Kenneth Goldsmith.
Gabriele Tinti, Vincent Piazza, Sozita Gοudοuna and Andres Serrano during an event for the new partnership between GREECE IN USA and the publishing house Eris Art at the Greece in USA cultural space in Tribeca New York, April 22, 2023. ( (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images).
Dr. Sozita Goudouna founded the non-profit organization Greece in USA, for the promotion of Greek culture in the US and American culture in Greece. The organization’s programming focuses on the development of research with an emphasis on cultural diplomacy and the extroversion of Greek culture. Greece in USA’s projects have been presented at the Metropolitan Museum of Art (The MET), the French Embassy among other cultural venues.
The “Library Residency” is the organization’s new initiative that will foster a dialogue between American and Greek writers and artists drawing from the interfaces between artistic creation and books. Guest writers, visual artists, filmmakers and musicians will be invited to interact with, and be inspired by a book from the “Library Residency collection” to create a new concept, sketch, art project, poem, or composition based on a book.
The “Library Residency” at Panepistimiou street is “GREECE IN USA”‘s new art residency that promotes exchanges between Greek and American writers and artists and will host artist Udi Aloni in June in partnership with the Greek Film Archive.
Being one of the most important international cultural institutions of the country, the 19th Thessaloniki International Book Fair presents an expanded program of cultural events. The President of the Hellenic Foundation for Culture , Mr. Nikos A. Koukis, the General Director of the Hellenic-American Chamber, Mr. Ilias Spyrtounias, and the President of the Culture Committee of the Hellenic-American Chamber, Mr. Zozo Lidorikis, collaborated with the organizers of the Collective USA Pavilion of American publishers) to attract publishers and book professionals to the Book Fair. The response was impressive since twenty-two preeminent publishing houses participate in the American Pavilion, including: Abrams Books Publishing Company, Insight Editions, Macmillan Publishers, MoMa Publications, Penguin Random House, The Quarto Group, Yale University Press, Harvard University Press, etc. The book fair’s focus on “American Literature” will be framed by parallel cultural events that connect publishing with the arts including music, cinema and theater.