8th Book Fair(y)

PUFKA - Pula's Festival of Books and Authors

This year's fair is marked by an almost forbidden word in the past decade – nostalgia. Nostalgia for what Pula used to be. Most of all, nostalgia for the atmosphere of the film festival («the big» and «the small), for the times when «festival town» was ascribed to Pula.

We wanted to bring back the festival atmosphere (this time book festival, because we don't know how to do anything else), hoping that the total illusion that we give in creating thid fair will resemble the pictures from film strip.

A festival with more than 150 authors in more than 80 programmes. Promotions, readings, round tables, international gatherings of writers, exhibitions, a theatre performance, a fashion show, nightly trips to Istria with books and authors, waking up and having breakfast with the same ones... and most of all, the atmosphere which we call upon, a relaxed atmosphere with a book – that is Pula Festival of Books and Authors (PUFKA) that we had in mind.

While we got absorbed in playing in the festival manner, we didn't forget the books. 270 Croatian and foregin publishers will exhibit at the Fair with more than 10 000 titles and they will not only be the scene for the festival events.  Books at the Pula Festival are touched, inhaled, examined and unreasonable bought to publisher's great joy.

It is hard for those who only came to do businees in a hurry and buy and sell, because at the Pula Fair rule the atmosphere of Mediterranean lazy mood (nothing at all can escape!), long coffee, rituals and the already forgotten marathon talks about books.

The Fair is, to our joy, still a small one. We want iy that way in the future as well.