5th Chania Book Festival

The duration of the Festival was expanded, now spanning the entire week from Monday through Sunday. This allowed for the development of a daily schedule with better event distribution and reduced overlaps, while the elimination of the 10:00–11:00 PM late evening slot contributed to a more natural daily flow for both the public and guests. The new scenographic concept of the event spaces received particularly positive comments. Traditional conference-style layouts were replaced by sets reminiscent of hospitality and conversation lounges, creating a more direct relationship between speakers and the audience.

At the same time, the Festival's overall signage was completely redesigned, featuring new banners, roll-ups, stickers, and wall displays outside event spaces and on central city buildings (Chania Town Hall, Region of Crete). Furthermore, the use of QR codes on signage allowed visitors direct access to the detailed schedule at every event location. These organizational interventions contributed decisively to the smooth running of the event and drew exceptionally positive feedback from the public, authors, and collaborating organizations.

At Katechaki Square, the mobile urban seating structure MULaR once again functioned as an open information and gathering hub, focusing on introducing foreign authors yet untranslated into Greek to the Greek public. In the same venue, the radio station Diktio FM 91.5 made a distinct contribution as the live "voice" of the Festival. Through daily live broadcasts, select interviews with Greek authors, translators, and figures from the book industry, as well as continuous updates on the day's schedule and activities, the station brought the pulse of the CBF both to the city and online.

The Bookstore, which operated this year at the heart of the Festival in Katechaki Square in collaboration with local Chania bookstores (Comixadiko, Librairie, Sporaki), proved to be one of the most vibrant hubs of the event. It was not only the place where visitors acquired books by the participating authors, but a daily meeting spot for writers, translators, publishers, and readers, where conversations continued spontaneously after the events concluded.

In its fifth edition, the CBF inaugurated an educational program titled "Bibliomachies" (Book Battles), organized by the Municipality of Chania in collaboration with the Region of Crete, with the cooperation of local school units in the Chania Prefecture and the approval of the Directorates of Secondary and Primary Education of Chania. The program is implemented with the support of the Inter-Municipal Solid Waste Management Company [DEDISA S.A. (OTA)].

From February through March 2026, seven Greek creators conducted workshops across nine Primary and Secondary Education schools, utilizing tools from various fields of the arts and humanities—creative writing, theater, poetry, history, visual arts, storytelling, music, dance, comics, new technologies, and more—aiming to foster a love for reading through a creative approach to Greek-language and world literature, tied to the central theme of the 5th CBF.