24 February 2026

National Library at the Book Fair: designed for everyone – from the youngest to the most senior readers

The upcoming 26th Vilnius Book Fair invites visitors to engage in dialogue on the theme “Žodis ieško savo žmogaus” (“The Word is Looking for Its Person”). The Martynas Mažvydas National Library of Lithuania has responded to this invitation with a rich program: here, words are not only looking for their people, but also invites them to seek new knowledge and engage in discussion.

The National Library is participating in the fair as a publisher of scientific literature and encyclopaedias, inviting visitors to the ceremony announcing the nominees for the national campaign “Book of the Year 2025”, a meeting with British correspondent Oliver Moody, discussions with authors of newly published books, scientists, and experts on geopolitics, history, culture, and inner harmony, as well as educational activities for young readers and seniors.

Announcement of the nominees for the Book of the Year 2025

As part of its long-standing national campaign, Book of the Year, the library will announce the nominees for the 2025 Book of the Year and the start of public voting on Thursday at 12 noon (in Hall 5.1), thus setting the most important literary guidelines for the coming year.

The final decision will be made by readers, who will actively vote online until April 23 to select their Books of the Year. The winners will be announced at a formal awards ceremony on May 7. Visitors to the fair are invited to cast their votes in the Book of the Year election area in Hall 4 and to participate in meetings with authors and other activities.

Having become a symbolic barometer of reading culture, this campaign fosters dialogue between readers, authors, and literary experts, and seeks to promote valuable Lithuanian books (including those published in Lithuanian abroad).

Knowledge that lasts: focus on facts and value

Visitors to the fair, who are looking for history, science, and culture publications with lasting value, as well as a space for meetings where important communities are born, and where relevant topics are discussed, will be interested in the publications of the National Library’s Science and Encyclopaedia Publishing Centre (MELC).

The National Library’s Science and Encyclopaedia Publishing Centre (MELC) will welcome visitors in Hall 5, Stand D22. Here, not only the new releases for 2025 will be presented, but also time-tested non-fiction publications. The library’s publishing direction remains clear – to reach readers with works that have lasting historical, scientific and cultural value. All publications will be available for purchase at attractive fair prices. The National Library purposefully selects content that shapes today’s discourse.

Geopolitical Pulse: Meeting with Commentator Oliver Moody

One of the most significant highlights of the National Library’s program is a meeting with British commentator Oliver Moody, head of The Times’ Berlin bureau. The library invited the author for a reason: his book The Baltic States: Europe's Future challenges the established view of our region’s influence on continental politics. This is an opportunity to hear one of the most prominent voices on the future of Europe.

The organizers of the book fair called the guest of the National Library “one of the most world-renowned political scientists shaping the future of Europe”. His book, published in 2025, attracted a lot of interest from readers and challenged the prevailing rule that the future of Europe is determined solely by the influence of large countries on political decisions. O. Moody put forward and substantiated the position on the influence and significance of the Baltic States in the future politics of Europe.

Cultural continuity: from Čiurlionis and Pilėnai to YIVO

Continuing to promote Lithuanian heritage, the National Library invites you to discover documentary heritage in new formats.

The fair will feature publications dedicated to the 150th anniversary of M. K. Čiurlionis, a unique vinyl record, and books dedicated to the centenary of the YIVO Institute for Jewish Research.

Another significant event in the history of Lithuanian books is the first publication in Lithuanian of British professor James Raven’s (b. 1959) book What is the History of the Book? Curious readers will find the history of the book as a cultural artefact from ancient times to the present day.

The publication Ignoto Grubinsko dienoraštis (“The Diary of Ignotas Grubinskas”) continues the series of publications dedicated to documentary heritage research, From the Archives of the National Library, which introduces ego documents stored in the library. I. Grubinskas was a private in the Tsarist Russian army who wrote a diary in Lithuanian in Kaunas at the end of the 19th century.

Those who attend the presentation of the book Aš papuošiu žirgo galvą pinavijom (“I Will Decorate the Horse’s Head with Peonies”) will have a wonderful opportunity to learn about the unique world of Lithuanian composer and educator Vytautas Klova (1926–2009), revealed through archives, memories, photographs, and documents. For Lithuanians his name is most associated with the opera Pilėnai.

This is a great opportunity for everyone to personally get acquainted with the publications of the National Library, which continue the research of documentary heritage, preserve memory, but present it in an open, modern, and attractive way.

Reading as therapy and creative education for the whole family

In addition to the discussions, visitors are invited to a conversation about bibliotherapy. This is a conscious look at books as a tool for finding emotional balance. During the event, participants will be invited to look at reading as a conscious, healing process that can enrich personal experience and help to better understand oneself and others.

The Children’s and Youths Literature Centre of the National Library will invite guests of the most important literary festival for readers in Lithuania to participate in educational games, creative and other playful activities for both young readers and their adult parents and grandparents.

Visitors to the Young Readers’ Hall will find a wide selection of new books, creative workshops, and events taking place on stage. There will be an open Library Space organized by Lithuanian librarians, and children’s book creators will invite visitors to participate in creative activities.

Paraphrasing the theme of this year’s fair, “The Word is Looking for Its Person”, the National Library will be looking for its readers at the Vilnius International Book Fair. 

Let’s meet where the words attain their meaning!

For more information about the National Library’s events and activities at the Book Fair, visit www.lnb.lt and the National Library's social media pages.

The Vilnius Book Fair is organized by the Lithuanian Publishers Association, the Lithuanian Neighbouring Rights Association – AGATA, and the Lithuanian Exhibition and Congress Centre LITEXPO. The Vilnius Book Fair is supported by the Lithuanian Council for Culture and the Vilnius City Municipality.