Following Georgia’s successful representation at this year’s Frankfurt Book Fair as the official guest of honour, the country’s literature and culture will ho under spotlight at the Paris counterpart event in 2021.

Revealed on Thursday, the news means Georgia will appear at the annual book event without even having had a national booth at the Fair. The invitation [from the Paris fair] has shown that France listens to Germany – they saw reactions to our programme in Frankfurt and the reviews of the German press on Georgia.

I believe their offer is a result of this success,” Georgian National Book Centre Director Dea Metreveli told Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. She also said a national participation in the Paris celebration of literature would mean an opportunity for Georgia to introduce its authors and literary scene to readers in the Francophone space. The offer for taking part in the 2021 Fair as guest of honour country was received by Metreveli’s delegation during their Frankfurt stay.

Hosted at the Exhibitions Park in Porte de Versailles, the French fair hosts around 1,200 publishing houses and 2,000 authors from nearly 40 countries. Around 500 stands can also be seen at the fairgrounds. First held in 1981, the Fair “invites big names of today’s literacy and highlights tomorrow’s authors and actors”, organisers said.