Tbilisi International Book Fair in Georgia: dates, meaning and how to experience it

By Mariam Lomidze, GTour desk · Fact-checked against the sources listed · Last checked 25 October 2026 · Editorial policy

What it is

The Tbilisi International Book Fair — in Georgian, Tbilisis saertashoriso tsignis gamofena (თბილისის საერთაშორისო წიგნის გამოფენა) — takes its name from tsigni (“book”) and gamofena (“exhibition” or “display,” from the verb “to show”). It is not a religious feast or a public holiday but a trade-and-public fair: the single largest annual gathering of Georgia’s publishing industry, bringing together domestic and foreign publishing houses, booksellers, translators, illustrators, librarians and the reading public under one roof.

The fair is attended by a broad cross-section of Georgian society — schoolchildren brought by teachers for the children’s programme, university students and literature faculties, working writers and poets giving readings, literary agents negotiating translation rights, and ordinary Tbilisi residents who come each spring to buy new releases at fair-only discounts. Foreign publishers, cultural institutes and embassies also take stands, making it as much a window onto international literature in translation as a showcase for Georgian authors.

Historical background

• 1709 — King Vakhtang VI establishes Georgia’s first printing house equipped with movable Georgian type, in Tbilisi, founding the modern Georgian book trade.
• 19th century — under the Russian Empire, Tbilisi grows into the principal publishing centre of the South Caucasus, with Georgian-, Armenian-, Azerbaijani- and Russian-language presses operating side by side.
• 1921–1991 — during the Soviet period, book production and distribution are centralised under state publishing houses, and annual “book days” trade exhibitions become part of Tbilisi’s cultural calendar.
• 1991 — restoration of Georgian independence opens the publishing sector to private houses, creating the institutional conditions for an independent, internationally oriented book fair.
• 2000s — Georgian publishers, with the involvement of the National Parliamentary Library of Georgia, begin holding a regular spring book exhibition in Tbilisi, according to the library’s own published history of the trade.
• 2016 — the three historical Georgian writing systems — asomtavruli, nuskhuri and mkhedruli — are inscribed on the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, underlining the cultural weight attached to the Georgian book and alphabet.
• 2018 — Georgia is Guest of Honour nation at the Frankfurt Book Fair under the motto “Georgia Made by Characters,” a milestone that raised international visibility for Georgian publishing and translation.
• 2020 — as with many international fairs that year, the Tbilisi edition is curtailed and partly moved online in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• 2022 onward — the fair resumes in full at the ExpoGeorgia exhibition grounds, with Pavilion 11 becoming its standard venue, and the 2026 edition running 23–26 April at that site.

The fair’s deep roots lie in Vakhtang VI’s eighteenth-century printing press, an institution that for the first time allowed Georgian-language texts — scripture, chronicles, poetry — to circulate in multiples rather than as hand-copied manuscripts. Tbilisi’s position as a crossroads of the Caucasus meant that printing, and later book retailing, developed here earlier and more densely than almost anywhere else in the region, a legacy visible today in the city’s cluster of historic bookshops, the National Parliamentary Library‘s manuscript holdings, and the university presses around Tbilisi State University.

The fair in its present internationally oriented form is a product of the post-Soviet decades: once publishing ceased to be a state monopoly, Georgian houses needed a shared platform to meet foreign counterparts, sell translation rights and introduce new domestic writing to readers accustomed to Soviet-era print runs. The Ministry of Culture, Sport and Youth of Georgia and tourism bodies have since supported the event as part of a wider push, reinforced by the 2018 Frankfurt showcase, to present Georgian literature abroad and to cultivate reading habits at home, particularly among children and young adults.

Meaning and traditions

At the fair, Georgian and foreign gamomcemlobebi (publishing houses) set up stands selling tsignebi (books) at fair discounts, often the only time in the year certain backlist titles are heavily reduced. Mtserlebi (writers) give public readings and sign copies; mtargmnimelebi (translators) hold panel discussions on bringing Georgian literature into other languages and vice versa; illustrators run drop-in workshops in the bavshvta kutkhe (“children’s corner”), which is usually the busiest part of the hall on weekend mornings. Literary prizes, most notably the Saba Literary Award, Georgia’s leading prize for fiction and poetry, are frequently announced or celebrated around the same season, giving the fair an air of a wider annual literary review rather than a simple trade show.

There is no fixed liturgy of food or song attached to the fair, unlike a church feast; its “traditions” are those of any modern book fair — queueing for a favourite author’s signature, browsing stacked tables of new Georgian poetry and translated fiction side by side, and families treating the children’s programme as an outing in its own right. Regional variation exists mainly in scale: smaller book days are occasionally organised in Batumi and Kutaisi, but Tbilisi’s fair at ExpoGeorgia remains the only one with full international participation.

When it happens

The fair does not follow a fixed date rule tied to a religious or civil calendar; organisers set the dates each year, typically in the second half of April, and confirm the exact days only a few months in advance. It is not a public holiday, so government offices, schools, shops and churches follow their normal schedules — only the ExpoGeorgia halls and the publishers exhibiting there are directly affected, and some bookshops in the city centre run complementary in-store events during the same week.

The 2026 edition was held 23–26 April 2026 at ExpoGeorgia, Pavilion 11. The next edition is expected 22–25 April 2027, though organisers have not yet issued final confirmation; travellers planning a visit around this date should check with ExpoGeorgia or the Ministry of Culture closer to the time.

Where to experience it

The fair is held at the ExpoGeorgia exhibition complex on Tsereteli Avenue in Tbilisi, specifically in Pavilion 11. A visitor can expect rows of publisher stands arranged by house, a central stage used for readings and prize announcements, a dedicated children’s zone with low tables and picture-book displays, and quieter corners set aside for rights negotiations between agents and foreign publishers. Mornings tend to be calmer and better for browsing; afternoons and weekends bring school groups and the largest crowds, especially around well-known authors’ signing slots.

No particular religious etiquette applies, as this is a secular exhibition hall rather than a church, but general courtesy is expected: queue for signings, ask before photographing a stand’s display, and avoid handling books roughly in a trade setting where stock is for sale. Visitors wishing to buy books in Georgian as souvenirs should note that English-language and bilingual titles are limited but do appear on some stands, particularly those of publishers active in the Frankfurt and London fairs.

Did you know

• Georgia was the Guest of Honour nation at the Frankfurt Book Fair in 2018, one of the largest international showcases a national literature can receive.
• King Vakhtang VI set up Georgia’s first printing press with Georgian type in Tbilisi in 1709, nearly three centuries before the modern book fair.
• The Georgian alphabet’s three historical scripts — asomtavruli, nuskhuri and mkhedruli — were inscribed on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2016.
• The Saba Literary Award, Georgia’s most prominent literary prize, is announced annually and its winners are regularly featured in fair programming.
• The National Parliamentary Library of Georgia holds one of the Caucasus’s largest manuscript and early-print collections, a resource used by scholars researching the history behind the modern fair.

Practical tips for visitors

ExpoGeorgia is reachable by taxi, ride-hailing app or city bus from central Tbilisi; traffic can be heavier than usual on weekend fair days, so allow extra time. Dress is casual, as for any indoor exhibition hall; late April in Tbilisi is generally mild but can turn cool or wet, so a light layer is worth carrying. Entry to the exhibition halls is typically open to the public at a modest fee or free, but individual author talks and workshops can fill quickly, so checking the published daily schedule on arrival, or the organiser’s own announcements nearer the date, is advisable. Payment at stands is usually by card or Georgian lari in cash; English-language events are limited, so visitors with no Georgian should ask organisers in advance about any English-language programming confirmed for that year’s edition.

Combine it with

A trip around the book fair pairs well with Tbilisi’s own literary and historic quarters, and with day trips into Kakheti to see writers’ house-museums among the vineyards, or into Kartli and Imereti for the monasteries, manuscript collections and early printing heritage that underpin Georgia’s long relationship with the written word.

Questions travellers ask

Is the Tbilisi International Book Fair open to tourists, or only to publishing professionals?

It is open to the general public as well as trade visitors. Most of the hall is designed for browsing and buying, while certain rights-negotiation areas are more trade-focused.

Do I need to book a ticket in advance?

Entry has historically been low-cost or free for general visitors, with no advance booking usually required, though specific author talks or workshops may ask for sign-up on arrival or online closer to the event.

Will there be books or events in English?

Some English-language and bilingual titles appear on stands, particularly from publishers active internationally, but the great majority of books and talks are in Georgian.

Is the fair suitable for children?

Yes; a dedicated children’s programme with illustrators, picture books and workshops is a regular feature and tends to be the liveliest part of the hall on weekends.

How do I get to ExpoGeorgia from central Tbilisi?

Taxi, ride-hailing apps and city buses all serve the ExpoGeorgia complex on Tsereteli Avenue; allow extra travel time on peak fair days.

Are the dates for 2027 confirmed?

Not yet; the fair usually falls in the second half of April, and the 2027 edition is provisionally expected around 22–25 April, but organisers confirm final dates only a few months beforehand.

Is the fair a public holiday in Georgia?

No. It is a cultural and trade event, not a public holiday, so government offices, schools and most businesses operate normally during the fair.

Can foreign publishers or authors participate as exhibitors?

Yes, foreign publishing houses, cultural institutes and literary agents regularly take stands or attend for rights discussions; interested parties should contact the organisers well ahead of the confirmed dates.

Sources

• Ministry of Culture, Sport and Youth of Georgia
• National Parliamentary Library of Georgia
• Georgian National Tourism Administration
• UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists
• Parliament of Georgia
• Tbilisi City Hall