LJUBLJANA – World Book Capital

Pécs, 28 June 2010

Ljubljana Urban Region (LUR) Population: 529.646 (> 1/4 of

SI; 1 Jan. 2010); active pop.: 281.185 = 54% (2008)

Density: 207,3 (1 Jan. 2010) GDP per capita: 24.600 €;

index SI 144 (2007) RDP LUR 2007 -2013:

– The vision of the region: The region will achieve a high level of global competitiveness and a high-quality of living through encouraging creativity & co-operation.

– One of objectives of LUR: creative people and successful companies (increase of added value/employee by 10% by 2013)

LUR = Central Slovene Statistical Region (NUTS 3); 1 of 12 SI regions26 municipalities; area: 2.555 km2

Ljubljana – Capital of Slovenia

Population: 279.653 inhabitants (> 1/2 of Ljubljana Urban Region; 1 Jan. 2010)

Active population: 208.112 = 75,4% (2008) Density of population: 1.017 (1 Jan. 2010) GDP per capita : not measured for municipalities any more,

just for regions

Ljubljana – City of Culture

14 museums, 33 galleries,10 theatres, 47 NGOs,10.000 cultural events/year, 10 international festivals 8 February - Day of Culture (National Public Holiday), free entrance to all cultural institutions

Ljubljana – World Book Capital

World Book Capital (April 2010 – April 2011)

Ljubljana – WBC Candidature (1)

Candidature accepted at the UNESCO General Conference in 2008, when Slovenes celebrated the 500th anniversary of Primož Trubar’s birth, the author of the 1st Slovene book and the founder of Slovene literary language.

The Slovene history and the history of the book in Slovenia give us the reason to speak about books with passion, as did the Slovene poet Oton Župančič (1878 – 1949):Book at hand; handed down devotedly time and time again… Could it be handled any better? (motto of LJ – WBC)

The poet was convicted that what is written in books is passed from one generation to another, with every generation drawing from these sources vital and enriching messages for the present they live in.

Ljubljana – WBC Candidature (2)

The programme of Ljubljana – World Book Capital:

Promotes the principles of freedom of expression, freedom to publish and to distribute information as they are endorsed by UNESCO, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Florence Agreement

Promotes literature, authors, books, reading Encourages reading culture & improves access to book Combines all the links in the book supply chain & connects

everybody Sets up a network of literary festivals & events

(intercultural dialogue) Implements PPs, includes partner cities from Slovenia and

abroad

Ljubljana – WBC Programme (1)

More than 500 events

Honorary Sponsor: Dr Danilo Türk, President of the Republic of Slovenia

The programme is supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia and the Slovenian Book Agency

Majority of events performed by NGOs and public institutions from the field of culture; a part of the programme in collaboration with Slovene cities, embassies in LJ

Ljubljana – WBC Programme (2)

1. TRUBAR LITERARY HOUSE2. LITERARY FESTIVAL: FABULA 2010 3. LJUBLJANA AND BOOKS 4. BOOKS AND THE CREATIVITY IN CULTURE 5. THE BOOK AND THE CITY 6. LJUBLJANA METROPOLITAN LIBRARY7. WORLD BOOK SUMMIT 2011 8. BIWEEKLY CULTURE MAGAZINE Pogledi – Views9. LJUBLJANA – A CITY OF REFUGE10. NEW SPECIALIST CHILDREN’s BOOKSHOP

1. Trubar Literature House

1st literature house in Slovenia will be open in Sep. 2010 in the presence of a high UNESCO delegation

Mission: to become a reference point for literature, the book and critical reflection

Literary events, festivals, readings, creative workshops, book presentations and visits of foreign writers & poets

Combining literature with music, fine arts puppet theatre & other artistic expressions

Support for projects promoting reading culture through the use of new technologies (Internet, electronic books & blogs)

Cultural education The headquarters of a new book club, web portal and

exhibitions Morning, afternoon and evening programmes

2. Literary Festival: Fabula 2010

Fabula 2010 – Literatures of the World Festival, 3 to 28 May 2010

Opening ceremony with Herta Müller, winner of the 2009 Nobel prize for Literature; hosted renowned authors from Australia, Czech Republic, Germany, Israel, USA

Public readings in parks, by the river Ljubljanica, in hospitals and homes for the elderly, on buses ...

Several events: Writer’s city, Exploring the city along literary paths, Fabula Cinema; education & training events

Special attention to children’s and youth literature The literary competition for pupils: Literature turns into a

comic strip International symposium on Ivan Cankar (1876 - 1918), an

important Slovene writer and thinker

3. Ljubljana and Books – 3 programmes (1)

2010/2011 School Year – the Year of the Book => promotion of the reading culture among the young generation

Ljubljana Reads: the municipality gives an original picture book of a Slovene author to each 3-year-old child & to each pupil on his/her first day of school; running for 3 years

Growing up with a Book: The Slovenian Book Agency will give a book of a Slovene author to all secondary school students in Slovenia

3. Ljubljana and Books – 3 programmes (2)

The Books for Everybody: – 21 titles, 8.000 copies/title (the average edition of books

published in Slovenia is around 1.300 copies), 3 €/copy, new: libraries & cultural institutions as booksellers (220)

– experiment: the idea of raising the awareness of purchasing books as an indispensable part of reading culture

– public funds: 366.977 € or 15.000 € per book

4. Books and the Creativity in Culture

Books in cultural institutions, organised by museums, galleries, theatres, musicians and other cultural creators:– The Book and the Theatre– Books of Music– The Book and the Film– The Book and Fine Arts

5. The Book and the City

Interventions in the public space emphasise the importance of reading and encourage reading culture

New reading niches in public areas: in hospitals, asylum centres and homes for the elderly

The book as the promoter of social cohesion => to make books and cultural events more accessible to vulnerable groups

6. Ljubljana Metropolitan Library

Libraries = centres of knowledge, information and creativity

Ljubljana Metropolitan Library is one of the central venues of LJ – WBC programme

Several projects focused on books, literature & culture; e.g. coordinating the Books for Everybody project, a photographic competition on the book, Dancing with the Book

7. World Book Summit 2011

World Congress: World Book Summit 2011 - Books as Promoters of Human Development (translation, monitoring, models of reading)

Final event of LJ – WBC 2010 (31 Mar. – 1 Apr. 2011) 2 themes to be discussed by key experts in the global book

market: – Book Globalisation and Reading in the Digital Era, – Publishing Books on Smaller Language Markets and

Translating Books from Minor National Languages into World Languages

Goals: book market monitoring, reading culture strategies, policies for improving access

8. Biweekly Culture Magazine Pogledi – Views

A new biweekly magazine for art, culture and society to fill a media gap in culture (1st edition on 7 Apr. 2010) - a cornerstone of LJ – WBC 2010 programme

Subsidised by City of Ljubljana and Ministry of Culture between 2010 and 2013

To encourage the critical appreciation of cultural production

Widest possible audience (supplement of a daily newspaper, 32 pages, 60.000 copies per edition)

9. Ljubljana – A City of Refuge

In 2010 Ljubljana intends to become a part of the International Cities of Refuge Network (since 1994)

Common activities of City of Ljubljana and the Slovene PEN Centre

Refuge to writers, poets and intellectuals from countries whose authorities breach the freedom of expression and prevent free-thinking and writing

10. Specialist Children’s Bookshop

New bookshop: Bonfire under the Castle (Kres pod Gradom)

Quality books for children between 0 and 10 years

Meeting writers, illustrators, fairy-tale tellers

Success

Improving economy of the book in the future

Two years after the project: number of copies to raise for 30% (more than 2.000)

Average price per book to drop for 30% (about 15 €)

Boris Pahor (1913), Herald of Slovene Literature

Ljubljana sends the following book message to the world:

The book remains the 1st companion of humankind also in the 21st century.

Thank you, books!

More information:http://en.ljubljanasvetovnaprestolnicaknjige.si/home/