Antwerp is now hosting Boektopia, Belgium's largest book festival, which began today at Antwerp Expo. Visitors can enjoy a wide range of activities until November 15th, including performances, signing sessions, storytelling moments, meet & greets, podcast recordings, and fan clubs. The event caters to all ages, with a special focus on children and young people, featuring a school program, free tickets for youth organizations, and discounts for A-kaart or UiTPAS holders with a reduced fare.
Since its first edition in 2022 in Kortrijk, Boektopia has grown into a significant book festival. This year, the event expands to Antwerp, giving the city a full-fledged book fair once again.
Boektopia boasts a rich program featuring authors such as Robert Harris, Toni Coppers, Jeff Kinney, Elisabeth Lucie Baeten, Ish Ait Hamou, Beatrix Gerstberger, Tom Lanoye, Nicci French, Dirk De Wachter, and Marc de Bel. Additionally, there's a podcast studio caravan, a storytelling rocket for children, and cooking demonstrations by well-known chefs. Visitors can engage in a fiction scavenger hunt, explore the non-fiction quiz corner, solve riddles in the word search, or listen to audiobooks in cozy listening booths. For the youngest attendees, there's a children's book scavenger hunt, coloring pages, and temporary tattoos.
Mayor Els van Doesburg emphasized the book fair's importance for Antwerp: "The book fair belongs in Antwerp. So many Antwerp residents grew up visiting the book fair, and I am particularly pleased that we are reviving this beautiful tradition. But what perhaps brings me the most joy are the thousands of Antwerp children we can welcome here. Because passing on the love of reading is a gift that no generation should lose."
The city has its own stand offering information about the 18 A-libraries, where visitors can sign up for a library membership, and there's even a pop-up 'make-a-library'. The city also highlights November Book Month and Antwerp Reads, featuring a wall for book recommendations.
Alderman for Culture Lien Van de Kelder added: "Whether you're a bookworm or just curious, everyone belongs here. As the alderman for culture and a book lover, I am delighted that with Boektopia, we are bringing the rich tradition of the book fair back to Antwerp. The doors of Antwerp Expo truly open for everyone through our school program, tickets for youth organizations, and reduced prices with the reduced fare. With November Book Month, our successful A-libraries, and our school libraries, we stimulate reading pleasure for every Antwerp resident year-round. Six days of book magic for young and old, a dream culmination of our book policy."
Between November 10th, 12th, and 13th, the city, in collaboration with Iedereen Leest and Boektopia, offers a free school program for nearly 3,000 fifth-grade students. This program includes author encounters, a literary show, and a scavenger hunt. Today, the first thousand students were welcomed by Mayor Els van Doesburg and Alderman for Culture Lien Van de Kelder.
Students will also receive a festival wristband for one of the storytelling brunches at the Antwerp libraries on November 21st, where they will also receive a tote bag.
On Thursday, November 12th, there is a program for teachers featuring presentations and discussions on topics such as smartphone use in the classroom and banned literature.
On Friday, November 13th, the city, along with BoekenOverleg and Literatuur Vlaanderen, is organizing a sector day to discuss the future of reading, literature, and the book industry.
The city poem by Esohe Weyden (Antwerp) and Myriem El-Kaddouri (Kortrijk) is displayed on ten colorful terrace chairs, spread across locations such as the reading garden of the Permeke library, the courtyard of Trix, Hof van Liere (University of Antwerp), the inner street of the FelixPakhuis, and the gardens of the Begijnhof and DIVA. A set of chairs featuring a poem by junior city poet Michaël Liekens is also on display at Boektopia.
Boektopia serves as the highlight of November Book Month, an initiative dedicated to books and reading pleasure throughout the month, with activities in libraries, bookstores, and cultural centers across Antwerp.
During the weekend of November 21st and 22nd, Boektopia on Tour will take place, featuring author meetings throughout Antwerp, including with Rob Van Essen, Bibi Dumon Tak, and Colin Walsh.
Practical Information: Boektopia at Antwerp Expo runs from November 10th to 15th. Tickets are available at www.boektopia.be. Children up to 12 years old have free admission. Holders of an A-kaart or UiTPAS with a reduced fare receive an 80% discount on standard adult ticket prices.
