31^st BOOK FAIR(Y) IN ISTRIA
Pula Festival of Books and Authors

Theme: Disquiets

28^th November – 7^th December 2025.
Home of Croatian Veterans

The 31st Book Fair(y) in Istria – Pula Festival of Books and Authors took place from 28 November to 7 December 2025 at the Home of Croatian Veterans in Pula. The central theme, “Disquiets,” explored personal, societal, and artistic disquiets in the contemporary world and their connection to historical turning points. More than 100 authors from Croatia and abroad were featured in around 100 programs, which attracted 17,500 visitors, contributing to a total of 60,000 visits to the Book Fair(y). A record number of foreign authors were featured at the 31st Book Fair(y) through literary premieres, talks, and public appearances, further strengthening the international character of the event. One of the most prominent guests of the Book Fair(y) was Hiroko Oyamada, the first Japanese author to visit Croatia, who presented her book The Factory. Burhan Sönmez, President of the international PEN organization, presented his book Shadow and Stone and participated in the program Breakfast With the Author, attracting significant media attention and a large audience.
Dacia Maraini, one of Europe’s leading intellectuals and an icon of the Italian literary scene, left a powerful impression on the audience. She attended the Book Fair(y) for the second time, this time presenting her book Dear Pier Paolo. Georgian author Tamta Melashvili was featured in the program The Power of a Woman, while Narine Abgaryan, an award-winning Russian author of Armenian descent, and Antoni Libera, a Polish writer, translator, and theatre director, participated in the program Slavic Garden. Among the other renowned foreign guests of the Book Fair(y) were Irish visual artist Dorothy Cross and Italian author Sergio Segio, whose appearance symbolically connected the theme of “Disquiets” with the history and identity of Pula. Alongside the international guests, the 31st Book Fair(y) hosted numerous local and regional authors and featured exhibitions and film screenings. Highlights included Mauricio Ferlin’s exhibition Sajam na oko/Fair in the Eye (1995–2025) and Boris Miljković’s documentary film Snovi od papira/Paper Dreams, both portraying 30 years of the Book Fair(y) in Istria. The third edition of Histrokozmos, the “Fair within the Fair,” featured 16 diverse programs combining literature, science, art, gastronomy, and winemaking, and explored contemporary Istrian identity through its heritage and vision of the future. This year’s Histrokozmos was organized in partnership with the City of Šibenik and Šibenik-Knin County, further enhancing regional cooperation and cultural exchange. Special attention was devoted to programs for children and young people, as well as to international and regional cooperation through the programs Storie Italiane, Slavic Garden, and Ljubljana Reads. The exhibitors’ marketplace brought together more than 300 Croatian and regional publishers, offering more than 35,000 book titles. The most prominent new feature was Antikvariart, a section featuring books from Club&Bookstore Giardini 2, “Tereza’s Vintage Books” – a collection from Pula’s legendary bookseller Tereza Pulja – the Zoran Šimunić Collection, and the vintage bookstore Littera. The section also featured artwork by illustrators from Pula, publications and gift-shop items from Croatian museums and galleries, as well as art books.

31st BOOK FAIR(Y) IN ISTRIA Pula Festival of Books and Authors

Theme: Disquiets

28th November – 7th December 2025. Home of Croatian Veterans

Gallery

Fair(y) Tales

Disquiets: "You saw nothing in Hiroshima"

Disquiets: A Pebble in ChatGPT

Authors

Publishers

Ilustratori

31^st BOOK FAIR(Y) IN ISTRIA
Pula Festival of Books and Authors

28^th November – 7^th December 2025.
Home of Croatian Veterans