Romania will participate in the London Book Fair, one of the most important international fairs dedicated to literature professionals, from 10 to 12 March. Romania's presence at the event is organised by the Romanian Cultural Institute (ICR), through the National Book Centre and its London branch.

According to a press release sent to AGERPRES on Monday, the Romanian Cultural Institute will provide professionals from the Romanian and international book markets with a 22-square-metre stand (stand 1E120, Olympia Exhibition Centre), intended for working meetings between writers, translators, publishers and literary agents from Romania and their counterparts from around the world.

'Romania's participation in the London Book Fair reconfirms our constant commitment to strengthening the presence of Romanian literature on the international market, including in the English-language sphere. This fair, dedicated exclusively to professionals in the area, provides an essential framework for meetings and dialogue among writers, publishers, translators and literary agents. Through the stand organised by the Romanian Cultural Institute and the related events we are proposing, we create genuine opportunities for collaboration and support the integration of Romanian authors into British and international publishing circuits,' said Romanian Cultural Institute President Liviu Jicman.

To highlight Romania's presence at the fair and attract the attention of the British press, the Romanian Cultural Institute has prepared a series of events taking place between 10 and 13 March under the slogan 'Romanian Literature, Foreign Address.' The guests include authors Catalina Florescu, Vesna Goldsworthy and Tatiana Tibuleac, authors, publishers and translators Claudiu Komartin and Paul Doru Mugur, Professor Alfred Bruckstein, translator Monica Cure, as well as publishers Susan Curtis and Will Evans.

The related programme offers a reflection on contemporary Romanian literature as literature written, translated and published in various cultural spaces, following the international journeys of books and the way in which the authors' histories and identities are reflected in their writing. Presentations of the most recent translations into English will take place, alongside debates on the book markets in Romania and the United Kingdom, organised in partnership with the London bookshops Hatchards Piccadilly and Waterstones King's Road, as well as at the headquarters of the Romanian Cultural Institute in London.

The programme also marks two anniversaries: 20 years since the launch of the Romanian Cultural Institute's programme supporting translations, TPS, and 15 years of activity of Istros Books publishing house.

On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the translation programme funded by the Romanian Cultural Institute, the Translation and Publication Support Programme (TPS), the National Book Centre has prepared a catalogue featuring a selection of 20 excerpts from Romanian prose texts translated into English. The selection of titles will be accompanied by information materials about the Romanian book market and presentations of the funding programmes run by the Romanian Cultural Institute: Translation and Publication Support Programme, Publishing Romania and Romanian Books for Children.

London Book Fair, hosted by Olympia London and dedicated exclusively to professionals in the global book industry, is ranked, in terms of scale, as the second most important international event of its kind. AGERPRES (RO - writing by: Petronius Craiu; EN - writing by: Adina Panaitescu)