6th - 16th Dcember, 1999
Pula cinema
The Fair had been institutionalised- with permanent premises and permanent and sufficient financial support- we belive that the forgotten and neglected floor of the Pula cinema would have never been brought back to life. This cinema was the place of first film enchantments of many generations of people of Pula. This way, with the book as a veritable film star, both the floor and the stage beneath the great screen film came to life. 170 Croatian publishers presented their publication at the Fair, for the first time on the real Fair shelves.
Krležijana, the encyclopaedia published by the Lexicographic institute „Miroslav Krleža“ was declared the Book of the Fair. Many presentations culminated in concerts by renowed Istrian musicians: Tamara Obrovac, Dario Marušić and Livio Morožin.
For the first time, a foreign author presented his work at the Fair. The Argentinean writer, author of the contradictory book Anatomist, Federico Andahazi was the guest of the Pula Fair for two days. Thanks to him we found out what literary star-mania meant. Lines for getting an autograph, lines for the book, blocked way to the stage, flushed faces of the otherwise sleepy Fair's security guards, flushes and cameras not only belonging to the present jurnalists but also to the ladies in their golden years – these are the images remembered from Andahazy's visit.
For the first time, the Fair was more comprehensively covered by the media. Slobodan Prosperov-Novak said: „Compared to the Pula Fair Interliber is a real bazar“ – witch sentence resounded in Croatia; the wider public was acquainted with the fair trough numerous news-paper articles and tv reports. 60 000 people visited the Fair – witch was an apsolute record.
Enchanted with success and superabundant praise, the organisers exclaimed at the end of the Fair – We have becomed a tradition! – and right after that – And what are we up to now?!
