This year’s International Book Fair is devoted to the European integration of Moldova and the Year of Dumitru Matcovschi. The 23rd fair will be launched at the National Library on August 31, on the Our Language Day, and will continue until September 4, IPN reports.

The library’s director general Alexe Rau said there will be exhibited editorial products from over 20 countries. “The books are very important for a country. They contribute to strengthening the nation and the language and are a very important weapon. In the period of Soviet totalitarianism, the books helped strengthen our dignity, the way of life, the national traits and the language,” he stated, adding that in Europe there is the hierarchy of merit, which is possible only by appropriate education.

The fair will be opened in the Vasile Alecsandri square of the library. There will be mounted thematic exhibitions and screened two short films made by Italian moviemaker of Bessarabian origin Igor Sadovski: “Medalion” (Italy 2013), which was awarded at the Bulgarian Film Festival “Slavjanskaya Skazka”; “Disturbia” (Italy 2012), which took part in Cannes 2012 Short Film Corner. Afterward, film director Valeriu Jereghi will give a masterclass entitled “Film direction”.

On September 1, there will be launched the project “Pro-Europe: A communication platform for the people”, at the Pro-European hall of the library, and staged the international colloquium “Innovational activity in national libraries in digital era”.

The same day, there will be held a screening event entitled “Dumitru Matcovschi, son of autumn”.

On September 2, there will be staged masteclasses on book restoration at home and on rapid reading and signed an agreement of cooperate between the National Libraries of Moldova and Turkey.

On September 3, there will be held a book graphic workshop and a recital of poetry by poets from Chisinau, including Emilian Galaicu-Paun, Vasile Gârneţ, Dumitru Crudu, Irina Nechit, and Mihail Vakulovski.

On September 4, there will be mounted discussions on the challenges of a democratic Europe and the Gala of Laureates of the 2013 Most Read Ten Books Rankings and the Gala of Laureates of the 23rd International Book Fair.

A fair-exhibition presenting the work of over 300 publishing houses from 21 countries will be held throughout the International Book Fair.