VinBookFest

VinBookFest is a cultural and artistic event, a festival of acquaintance, comfort, relaxation, development, and contemplation aimed at popularising books and reading among children and youth, involving those closely associated with books in promoting them to users. The main goal of the festival is to popularise Ukrainian literature and contribute to the cultural development of the city. Participants in the project include representatives of leading Ukrainian publishing houses, journalists, writers, poets, librarians, and readers of various age groups.

The festival began under the name "Vinnytsian Book Fair" and was first held in 2015. On the eve of Library Day, the organisers invited local authors, bookstores, and printing houses to showcase their new publications for users to review.

Over three years, the festival gained citywide recognition, and in 2018, it was funded with a grant of 30,000 UAH thanks to winning a social action project pitching initiative initiated by the British Council and supported by the Vinnytsia City Council.

On May 17-18, 2019, as part of Europe Day celebrations, the third VinBookFest book festival took place, with the main location being Independence Square. On November 1-2, 2019, with the support of the Department of Information and Public Relations of the Vinnytsia Regional State Administration, the fourth VinBookFest book festival was held in a new venue at the Puppet Theater, with 16 publishing houses from various Ukrainian cities presenting their books. For the first time, a children's programme was featured at the festival.

In 2021, two such festivals took place:

• VI in May at European Square, to celebrate Vinnytsia City Day
• VII in September at Independence Square

Fifteen publishing houses from Kyiv, Kharkiv, Zhytomyr, and Vinnytsia participated in the festival, offering Vinnytsians the latest literature through their publishing houses such as "Masters' Time," "Knowledge," "Thesis," and the "Family Leisure Club."

In 2022, due to the state of war, unlike previous years, for safety reasons, the festival was held not outdoors but in protected locations. The special feature of the 8th festival was the opportunity to integrate children and adults who had moved from other regions of Ukraine into the literary life of Vinnytsia, encouraging them to participate in the festival programme.

A pleasant surprise before the start of the festival was an online meeting "Ukraine-Germany: Reading Brings Closer Together" with contemporary German writer Jurgen Banscherus, organised with the help of our partner Goethe Institute Ukraine on the occasion of Europe Day in Ukraine. Later, at the "Family" cinema, the audience was presented with the literary and artistic project "Under the Flashes of Sirens and Lightning." The theme of this project is the resistance of Ukrainians to Russian aggression.

On the second and third days of the festival, events took place at City Library Branch No. 1. There, a two-day fair "New Releases of the Book Yard," meetings with writers, interesting master classes, and more were held.

In 2023, during the celebration of the 660th anniversary of the founding of Vinnytsia and City Day, the 10th anniversary book festival "10th Anniversary VinBookFest" took place on September 9 and 10. This year, our festival was held under the slogan "Book Unites! Vinnytsia Reads!"

The festival included the awarding of winners and laureates of the citywide competition "Literary Award Golden Tower." The jury selected the best books by Vinnytsia authors published in the last 5 years in two categories: "Novels and Novellas" and "Short Stories, Essays, Regional Studies."

An open discussion "Reading: Light, Shelter, Weapon" was held on the impact of war on readers, creators, and promoters of books, with the participation of public figures, cultural and educational workers, publishers, writers, and representatives of local self-government bodies.

Creative meetings with well-known contemporary figures of Ukrainian literature Myroslav Dochynets, Kateryna Pylypchuk, Valentyna Zakhabura, and Inna Kurylo took place.

There was an "Open Microphone" where Vinnytsia poets and writers participating in the project "Under the Flashes of Sirens and Lightning" presented their own works. Also, within the festival programme, exhibitions "Inspired! Strong! Independent!" were presented, where authors' presentations of books by Vinnytsia authors published in 2022-2023 took place, as well as autograph sessions.

As part of the festival, a puppet show "Caterpillar" from the Vinnytsia Academic Regional Puppet Theatre was organised for the youngest participants of the event.

Throughout the festival programme, various venues operated on European Square: "Book Outpost" – an exhibition-sale of books from Vinnytsia and Ukrainian publishers (9 publishers), Goethe Institute location, children's entertainment area, "Creative Workshop" - master classes for children, art and photo zones, camouflage net weaving, safety lessons for children from the Patrol Police of Vinnytsia Region and the State Emergency Service of Vinnytsia Region.