Greek books in Beijing-The Hellenic Foundation for Culture in the 24th Beijing International Book Fair 2017

The HFC travels in Beijing to present more than 120 books (prose, poetry, children’s books, non-fiction, art books) from the recent production (2016-2017) of 52 Greek publishers.

For more information regarding BIBF, please visit the official website: http://www.bibf.net/EN/Default.aspx.

Join us for the exhibition as well as for two events with Greek writer Dimitris Sotakis.

Born in Athens in 1973, Dimitris Sotakis has published eight novels and a collection of short stories. His books have been nominated for several awards in Greece and for the European Union Prize for Literature award. In 2009 he received the “Athens Prize for Literature” for his novel “The miracle of breathing”, which also was nominated for Jean Monnet award in France. His latest novel “The story of a supermarket” was published in 2015. His books have been translated into French, Turkish, Serbian, Italian, Chinese and Dutch among others.

The Bookworm / August 22 / 19.30 / Free Admission
Address: Building 4, Nan Sanlitun Road, Chaoyang District Telephone: 6586 9507

Literature and the City: Urban landscapes become central characters in recent works by the two critically acclaimed writers, Xu Zechen, from China, and Dimitris Sotakis, from Greece. From Athens to Beijing, they will discuss how cities and their peoples influence their creativity and the tone and direction of their storytelling.

BIBF / August 26 / Writer’s stage / 13.00 – 13:50
Venue: China International Exhibition Center (New Venue) (NCIEC) Address: No. 88, Yuxiang Street, Tian Zhu Zone, Shunyi District

“The miracle of Breathing” (novel presentation): An unemployed man is looking for a job in the classified ads. Desperate because of his financial difficulties, he accepts an offer for a bizarre position. All he has to do is allot his house to a specific company to be used as a storage space and he will receive a handsome reward every time an item is transferred there. The deliveries begin straightaway and his house gradually fills up with furniture and other useless objects. The hero finds himself buried under innumerable objects, as there is no space for him to walk from one room to another. Trapped inside his own house, under the weight of the furniture, he ends up with just one privilege; to breathe. It’s a novel about the futility of desires that unfolds together with the sacrifices the modern man makes in the vain hope of reaching a paradise.