PRESSRELEASE: The Helsinki Fair Centre is filled with literature and culture

- The show has expanded with new exhibitors, many different fields of production. More antiquarian books, comic books, Manga, cultures and publishers whose production is interestingly multi-sided. Now included is a World-book quarter, an almost 300 square-metre public section with more than 10 exhibitors, says sales manager Soile Rautainen .

New features of this year's event include a youth and fantasy literature and comic-strip fan area built in Hall 1. Children, too, have a wider programme than before. In addition to the stage programme for the young at heart the facilities boast a children's 'busy hands' area. In the Children's Lobby kids can draw, play, listen to fairy tales and wonder at familiar fairy-tale characters straight from the books.

Record number of stage shows

In this year's wide-ranging stage-show programme there will be almost 700 programme numbers and 800 performers,. The main theme of the Fair this year is There´s something about a book . The Past Within Us directs its gaze at history, the year 1918 in particular, but also at events prior to and following that. Foreign Cultures in the Eyes of Finns aims, as it name suggests, to increase the information and understanding of world affairs. The individual in focus concentrates on the lives, relationships, work challenges, religions, etc. of today's people. Poetry – language and sensation communicates the strong position of the poem in today's literature and stops to reflect on its message. The programme also sees the anniversary of Mika Waltari . It is exactly one hundred years since the writers birth this year.

The Helsinki Book Fair will be opened by Jörn Donner

The eighth Helsinki Book Fair will be opened by writer Jörn Donner. The programme has been planned and will be led by theatre director and writer Juha Hurme . Nälkäteatteri (Theatre of Hunger) and Läski-orkesteri (Flab Orchestra). Suomen Messusäätiös Rakkaudesta kirjaan (For Love of the Book) award  will be presented by prize-committee member, editor in chief of the periodical Parnasso Jarmo Papinniemi .

Further information

Tuula Isoniemi , Book Fair Programme Leader, GSM 0500 841 937, email tuula.isoniemi@welho.com
Agneta Rahikainen , Svenska Litteratursällskapet i Finland, tel. 09-618 77 514, email
agneta.rahikainen@sls.fi
The Finnish Fair Corporation, Communications officer Vilja Perttola , GSM 040 755 3319, email
vilja.perttola@finnexpo.fi

Finland's biggest book event
The Helsinki Book Fair is Finland's biggest book event and a nationally important forum. The Book Fair is organized by The Finnish Fair Corporation in a conjunction with the Finnish Book Publishers Association and the Organization of the Booksellers Association of Finland. The Fair will be held for the ninth time 23-26.10.2008. In 2007 the Fair was attended by 68 516 visitors (number includes visitors to the Wine, Food & Good Living) and involved 293 exhibitors. The €8 500 'Rakkaudesta kirjaan' prize is awarded by the Messusäätiö in conjunction with the event. The Wine, Food & Good Living is arranged at the same time.