From the 10th to the 14th of May 2012, the Salone del Libro (International Book Fair of Torino) will welcome 300,000 visitors to Turin’s Lingotto Fiere fairground, formally a Fiat plant. Sponsored by the Foundation for Books, Music, and Culture, the event will feature more than 1,000 cultural events.
When it began 25 years ago, the Salone was based on the model of the Paris Book Fair, but it has since become the preeminent event of its kind in Europe. This year’s fair will feature 1,400 exhibitors, Italy’s largest bookshop, and a book village for children and young adults. Many of the fair’s cultural offerings, which range from theatrical performances and film screenings, to book readings and presentations from famous authors, are free and open to the public.
“Life on the Net: The Mutation Induced by Digital Technologies” is the theme of this year’s gathering, focusing on the changes in public perception, production, and communication methods incumbent in the current digital publishing revolution and how that affects culture. Digital technology companies Nokia, Trekstor, and Amazon will combine in the Book to the Future section of the fair, where La Repubblica released its first e-book for Kindle on Wednesday.
More than 600 professionals from 20 countries will take part in the International Book Forum Project, now in its eleventh year, which unites Italian publishers with literary agents from around the world to discuss translation, movie and television rights. This year, during the new AdaptLab book-to-screen adaptation program, fair attendees can watch eight novels transform into movies through workshops and online sessions.
Outside the main fair, the Salone Off will present more than 150 free events—presentations by international authors, games, films, and performances—around Turin.
