Current situation

Dear friends, dear readers,

At its meeting on April 1, 2020, the board of directors of the Association of Czech Booksellers and Publishers has decided to cancel this year’s Book World Prague.

In the past weeks the option of moving Book World to an autumn date had been pondered. The board has now responsibly assessed the situation, reaching the conclusion that future development is too uncertain and threats faced by the entire book profession too grave for a successful and dignified book fair to be staged.

During these weeks and months, our field is literally struggling to survive. Without quick and substantial help from the state, the retail network will crumble, which will have a domino effect on the publishers. We can see it happening already, as the financial flow within the profession has practically stalled. In the long term, the book market contributes significantly to the state budget, and now it requires some urgent help – not only to become an active contributor to state finances again as of next year, but mainly because a wide offer of books has a lasting positive effect on the overall levels of education, competitive ability and reader literacy. We firmly believe that the state will not allow the book market to collapse. However, even with the state’s assistance, majority of the adverse effects will have to be borne by the profession itself. As things stand, it is therefore impossible to predict in what condition the potential exhibitors will find themselves in autumn and whether or not they would be prepared to bear the costs connected with the book fair.

At the same time we wish to show solidarity with the booksellers, from whom the book fair would divert a proportion of their incomes at a time when they will hopefully start recovering from the decline. They will be literally counting every penny.

We believe that you will understand our decision and offer us all the more support at Book World Prague to be held in May 2021, which, as we all hope, will be a celebration of the book profession’s survival. Our team does not just passively stand by – we are becoming actively involved in projects designed to rescue our profession, about which we will inform you within the next few days.

Svět knihy, s.r.o.