The book knows no borders until the reader, fairs in the shopping center and the Academy

As rarely as in previous years, this year, World Book and Copyright Day was marked in the capital with discussions, presentations of reports and promotions of new publications, as well as two book fairs. One of them was held in a shopping mall, while the other aimed to highlight scientific books hidden from the curiosity of the average reader.

The headlines that revealed how World Book and Copyright Day was celebrated only on social networks cannot find a place this year. A series of activities have marked April 23, which has been dedicated to books since 1995. In the capital, two book fairs, discussions, presentations of reports and promotions of new publications have rounded off the symbolism of this day. 

As for the fairs, one of them takes the book to the shopping mall. For the first time, publishers have joined forces at “Prishtina Mall”. This symbolic activity organized by the “Flori” gallery has been described as an important initiative that brings readers closer to publishers. Meanwhile, the fourth edition of the Nationwide Academic and Scientific Book Fair opened at the Kosovo Academy of Sciences and Arts.

Publishers' offer where there are people

Visitors to the shopping center from Wednesday to Sunday have the opportunity to see many of the publications of 18 publishing houses at what is called the "World Book Day" book fair. A fairly large space has been allocated for publishers to launch an activity with the aim of turning it into a tradition. The organizers' goals are for the event to grow. But it remains to be seen how much interest there will be in this book exhibition. Two bookstores also operate in this shopping center. But the fair has another effect on readers. 

University professor Isak Shema opened the event by emphasizing that such activities are necessary. According to him, book fairs are a special celebration and their organization is a noble work. According to Shema, publishers from Kosovo, Albania, North Macedonia and Montenegro have come together not only to mark a symbolic day, but also to be closer to readers. 

"The book is the light that guides us towards civilization. Books are a source of pleasure and inspiration in important life. A good book is one where the author says what is right and how it is right," he said. The literary scholar wished that the fair would attract the attention of visitors to this shopping center and become a tradition. 

The offer of publishing houses is quite wide. Books from various fields complete the mosaic of the exhibition. After Wednesday afternoon when the activity started, no interested readers have been seen. But the hopes are that things will change over the weekend. 

Jahir Ahmeti, who runs the publishing house "Artini", said that communication between publishers and readers should be permanent. 

"It is always important to be close to readers, to be as exposed as possible to readers, where people pass by, where there are people. All the more so to stimulate curiosity about the book," he said. He mentioned that as publishers they are aware that at this time, interest in the book has decreased a lot, not only in these parts, but all over the world. 

"However, we must be present to stimulate curiosity in the new generation. First of all, through books, culture is created, knowledge is gained. The telephone is a means of communication, not a learning tool. The book is the basic learning tool," said Ahmeti.

KOHA Publishing is also participating in this event. With 140 titles covering various fields, this publishing house aims to go beyond the symbolism of World Book Day to return to readers with the aim of being as close as possible to those who are interested in books. 

"For the International Book Day, for the first time we are participating in this organization organized by 'Flori Galeri'. This organization is held in the premises of 'Prishtina Mall', a very good environment, we as KOHA publishing house decided to participate in order to be as close as possible to readers, as always with super-discounted prices", said the sales manager at KOHA Publications, Fidan Imeri. According to him, the discount goes up to 80 percent so that at a time when price increases have taken off, readers are offered good opportunities to acquire the titles they are interested in. 

"We already have a tradition of offering very good opportunities for readers at fairs," he said. 

This fair is seen as one of the awareness-raising events by publishers. This is how Arbër Rrahmani from the publishing house "Faik Konica" described the activity. 

"World Book Day also has the effect of proposing to readers that publishers should be sensitized to publish different books for the benefit of readers and the entire society," he said. This fair this year is an additional opportunity for readers. Such initiatives were previously undertaken by several private colleges. But they have been unsuccessful. How it will function in a shopping mall remains to be seen.

The scientific book hidden from the curiosity of the ordinary reader

World Book and Copyright Day was marked with another fair. The fourth edition of the National Academic and Scientific Book Fair opened at the premises of the Kosovo Academy of Sciences and Arts in Pristina. Scientific and educational institutions from Kosovo and Albania are participating in this three-day event. 

The President of the Kosovo Academy of Sciences and Arts, Mehmet Kraja, in his speech as host of the event, said that the scientific book requires special state and institutional care and they are trying to do this. According to him, the scientific book remains hidden from the curiosity of the ordinary reader and persistently seeks the qualified reader, the one who knows its value and who competently weighs its achievements in the world of knowledge. 

"A scientific book is not a book of advertising and large circulations. Scientific bestsellers are rare and, usually, to become such, they have to give up, if not entirely, at least a good part of their nature: the wise silence that surrounds them", he said. According to academician Krajë, scientific books are fewer in number, compared to literary and journalistic books, they are not printed on luxury paper and their covers are not made with special graphic choices and generally leave the impression of indifference. 

"But their magic lies as much in new ideas, in comprehensive knowledge and deep thoughts, as in the stability of arguments and the truthfulness of facts. Hypothetical deductions and emotions are not the strong point of scientific writing. At the Kosovo Academy of Sciences and Arts, since its establishment, here 50 years ago, publications have been considered primary in its work and constitute one of the main pillars of the annual work program", said Academician Kraja. He indicated that they consider that they have reached a good level of these publications, but they still have work to do, to open the publishing activity to authors outside the Academy, not by chance, but according to coordination and public evaluation. He thanked the Albanian Academy of Sciences and the National Center for Book and Reading as co-organizers of the Fair. Several publications were then promoted, including the monograph “The Scientific Activity of Bajram Krasniqi” by researcher Hysen Matoshi, former director of the Institute of Albanology in Pristina. Matoshi said that Krasniqi has left a great mark in the field of Albanology, literary criticism and scientific writing, describing him as one of the most original figures of Albanian knowledge.

"As an author, it is not up to me to talk much about the work, but I can say something more about its subject, the scientist, intellectual and personality Bajram Krasniqi, whose work is multifaceted and of primary importance in the field of scientific, historical-literary, typological, literary criticism, as well as in the general Albanological and journalistic sphere," said Matoshi. He indicated that the Albanological Institute, through a detailed project, had proposed to the Ministry of Education in 2011 the publication of Bajram Krasniqi's work.

Meetings with writers and publishers were some of the other events organized on World Book and Copyright Day, proclaimed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization - UNESCO, in 1995.