The Full Events Programme for the 4th Chania Book Festival
17/06/2025The Full Events Programme for the 4th Chania Book Festival
17/06/2025The 4th Chania Book Festival, a Major International Book Event
Large Attendance & Positive Feedback
The 4th Chania Book Festival (CBF), organized by the Municipality of Chania in collaboration with the Region of Crete and under the auspices of the Hellenic Parliament, began on Tuesday, June 24, with the official opening ceremony conducted by the President of the Hellenic Parliament, Mr. Nikitas Kaklamanis, and concluded on Sunday, June 29, 2025.
This year’s edition of the Chania Book Festival, centered on the theme “Our Home, the Planet” and the motto “We Read, We Discuss, We Connect,” attracted a large audience from the very first day, with public interest remaining strong throughout. The festival venues were filled with visitors who immersed themselves in the festival’s rhythm, attending multiple consecutive events. This impressive turnout highlighted the festival’s true impact and helped to foster the vibrant, open community that emerged around books and the conversations they inspire.
Visitors had the opportunity to meet and engage in conversation with world-renowned authors. At the same time, the Festival consistently highlights local literary production and honors Cretan creators (“Contemporary Prose from Crete", “Villa Ariadni: The Legendary House-Headquarters of Evans”, “Apocosmos” by Giorgos Patroudakis, “Kazantzakis 1: The Cretan Perspective (1883-1919)” and “Kazantzakis 2: The Bustling World (1921-1957)” by Allain Glykos, “Grammata apo ta Kapetaniana” (Letters from Kapetaniana) by Giorgos Gr. Stamatakis, “Dialects and Local Varieties in Contemporary Literature: Reflections on the Transformations of Language from the Distant Past to the Present of Greek-speaking Authors", “Diadromes tis skepsis tou K. Th. Dimara” (Trajectories of the Thought of K. Th. Dimaras) by Giannis Dimitrakakis, "Municipal Regional Theatre of Crete – 50 Years of Theatre – A Living Archive", “Athoryva to ’strone” (Quietly She Laid It) by Marinella Vlachaki, literary and arts magazine “Erisma”, 1995-2025: “Seeking the Realm of Dreams", "In Search of Lost Time" by Marcel Proust, with the anthology editor and translator of the work Klairi Mitsotaki, among others).
A hallmark of this year’s festival was the creative coexistence of local literary output with the national and international literary scene. At the same time, the festival’s vibrancy was also evident in the digital sphere, with a strong presence and high engagement on social media.
ΙSpecial emphasis was placed this year on expanding the connections and collaborations of the Chania Book Festival with similar international festivals as well as with local, national, and international cultural institutions. Further focus was given to timely thematic discussions centered on the Festival’s main theme, such as "Ecology and Contemporary Greek Prose", “War as Ecocide: Its Environmental and Social Impact", “The Ecological Footprint of Tourism and the Formation of a Modern Ecological Awareness", “The Normalization of the Far Right in the West", among others.
Tribute events dedicated to Mikis Theodorakis, in collaboration with the Pancretan Association of Friends of Mikis Theodorakis, to Manolis Anagnostakis, in collaboration with the Circle of Friends of the Poet Manolis Anagnostakis, and to Souzana Antonakaki, the most distinguished architect of her generation, in collaboration with Crete University Press, also stood out.
The honorary award to the poet Titos Patrikios, a leading figure of modern Greek literature, as well as tribute events for the eminent journalist, folklorist, and writer Nikos Psilakis, and the poet, essayist, translator, and journalist Pantelis Boukalas, were also highlights of this year’s festival.
Thematic events focusing on book policy, the networking of cultural organizations and festivals, and translation, which were included in the new morning and midday event slots of the daily CBF program, achieved similar success ("Dialogue on the Book: History, Policies, Perspectives", “Texts and Authors Travel: Book Festivals and International Networking", "The Voice of Translators: A Tribute to the Adventure of Translation".
The audience honored all three of the CBF’s musical events and performances, completely filling the Mikis Theodorakis Theatre: “Unforgettable”, with bass Christoforos Stamboglou and conductor Miltos Logiadis, “The Sea Ode of Fernando Pessoa and the Fados of My Youth", a literary and musical performance with Aliki Kayaloglou, and "A Musical Bridge Between Greece and Turkey", a unique musical evening dedicated to the deep friendship and artistic collaboration between two emblematic creators: Mikis Theodorakis and Zülfü Livaneli, featuring Ioanna Forti, Iraklis Zakkas, Alexandros Kapsokavadis, and under the artistic direction of Achilleas Wastor).
Event Venues and Festival Bestsellers
This year, the 4th Chania Book Festival took place exclusively around Katehaki Square, with a focus on the Center of Mediterranean Architecture (Grand Arsenal – KAM) and the “Mikis Theodorakis” Theatre, creating a more cohesive sense of “community” while also making it easier for attendees to navigate the festival’s multifaceted program of multiple parallel events.
In particular, beyond Hall 2 at the “Mikis Theodorakis” Theatre, the Festival for the first time utilized the ground floor hall of the Center of Mediterranean Architecture (Grand Arsenal – Hall 2) as an event space, while the picturesque steps of Agios Markos Street were also transformed into a unique venue for selected literary events and poetry performances, adding a special atmosphere to this year’s festival.
Additionally, for the second consecutive year, the mobile urban living room MULaR (Mobile Urban Living Room), the innovative, flexible, multifunctional space of the Municipality of Chania, was present in Katehaki Square, serving as an additional venue for events and information. The local radio station Diktyo FM 91.5 broadcasted the festival’s vibrant atmosphere live on FM and online, hosting daily authors and guests who spoke about their work and shared their impressions.
The Festival Bookshop, a collaboration between three bookstores from the city of Chania (Comixadiko, Librairie, and To Sporaki), operated in the foyer of the Mikis Theodorakis Theatre, while an outdoor kiosk was also set up daily in front of the Theatre’s entrance. Additionally, the books featured in each event were available for purchase at the exit of the venues immediately after each session.
In terms of sales, the visitors of the 4th Chania Book Festival chose the following books:
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"Tefteria" (Notebooks) by Manolis Chatzipanagiotou (Themelio Publishing)
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"Omero, o kryfos gios" (Omero, the Secret Son) by Christos Markogiannakis (Psychogios Publishing)
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"Sti skia tou orous Ochi" (In the Shadow of Mount Ochi) by Yannis Makridakis (Vivliopoleion tis Estias Publishing)
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"Pragmatologika scholia gia to ergo tou Manoli Anagnostaki" (Pragmatic Comments on the Work of Manolis Anagnostakis) by Miltiadis Polyviou (Patakis Publishing)
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"Afti einai i geitonia mou skyle" (This Is My Neighborhood, Dog) by Pavlos Pavlidis (Kastaniotis Publishing)
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"Diadromes kai diastavroseis. Meletes kai dokimia 1977-2023" (Routes and Crossroads. Studies and Essays 1977–2023) by Titos Patrikios (Kichli Publishing)
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"Teleio parelthon" (Perfect Past) by Leonardo Padura (Kastaniotis Publishing)
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"Apocosmos. Sfakianes Madares. I Agria Disi Tis Kritis" (Apocosmos. The Sfakian Madares. The Wild West of Crete) by Giorgos St. Patroudakis
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"Grammata apo ta Kapetaniana" (Letters from Kapetaniana) by Giorgos Gr. Stamatakis (Selouda Publishing)
Increased Participation from Greece and Around the World
During its 4th edition this year, the Chania Book Festival hosted discussions on topics such as climate change and the relationship between humans and nature, family relationships in their various dimensions in today’s changing world, and the complex international geopolitical landscape—all explored in their interaction with literature.
There were also discussions on literary translation, the book market, dialects in Crete and Cyprus, and ways for book festivals to collaborate. Representatives from major festivals in Greece and abroad participated, including “Oh les beaux jours!” Festival in Marseille, the LEA Festival (Hellenic-Ibero-American Literature Festival in Athens), the Limassol International Book Fair, and the Sardam Interdisciplinary Literary Festival in Cyprus.
This year, the Chania Book Festival welcomed more than 160 speakers from 16 countries—including authors, academics, translators, philologists, literary critics, journalists, and artists—not only from Greece and Cyprus, but also from Haiti, Argentina, Brazil, France, the USA, Italy, Colombia, Cuba, the United Kingdom, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Turkey, and the Czech Republic. They participated in approximately 120 thematic discussions, book presentations, workshops, performances, and concerts, covering contemporary Greek and international prose, poetry, and essays. The program featured works from 43 publishers (Agra, Aiora, Akritas, Alati, Antipodes, Vakchikon, Vikelaias Library Editions, Dioptra, Enastron, Enypnio, Erisma, Estia, Themelio, Thraka, Ikaros, Iolkos, Kaleidoscope, Kapa Ekdotiki, Kastaniotis, Kedros, Keimena, Kichli, Metaichmio, Minoas, Nefeli, Nisos, Papadopoulos, Patakis, Crete University Press, Perispomeni, Polis, Potamos, Pyxida tis Polis, Radamanthys, Sokolis, Stereoma, Topos, Psychogios, Carnivora, Gutenberg, Metronomos, Opportuna, Selouda).
The events of the Chania Book Festival were organized in collaboration with publishing houses and cultural organizations and institutions, including the National Library of Greece, the Hellenic Foundation for Culture and Books, the Municipal Regional Theatre of Crete, the Municipal Art Gallery of Chania, the Orthodox Academy of Crete, the Municipal Library of Chania, the Cultural Center of Chania, the Hellenic-French Association of Chania, the Association of Philologists of Chania, the National Research and Study Foundation “Eleftherios K. Venizelos,” the Pancretan Association of Friends of Mikis Theodorakis, the Circle of Friends of the Poet Manolis Anagnostakis, the Chania Film Festival, Chaniartoon, the Association of Greek Librarians and Information Scientists, among others.
This year’s festival saw more than 30 international participants (compared to 21 in 2024, 12 in 2023, and 7 in 2022), with events organized in collaboration with the LEA Festival (Hellenic-Ibero-American Literature Festival in Athens), the British Council, the French Institute of Greece, the Cervantes Institute, Acción Cultural Española, Camões – Instituto da Cooperação e da Língua Portugal, Norwegian Literature Abroad (NORLA), Literature Across Frontiers, and with the support of the Department of Contemporary Culture of the Deputy Ministry of Culture of Cyprus and the embassies of Argentina, Brazil, France, Spain, Cuba, the United Kingdom, Portugal, and Norway.
Comments on the 4th Chania Book Festival
“This Festival is a great thing. Not only because it brings the city to life, not only because it attracts people from far away, but mainly because it creates dialogue among people. It breaks the loneliness that threatens each of us. The basic issue, I believe, is how each person can escape loneliness and connect with others, and in this way, rediscover themselves. From this perspective, the Chania Festival makes a tremendous contribution to the effort for human connection.”
Titos Patrikios
“Every year, the Chania Book Festival gets even better, remaining in both our memories and our hearts.”
Rhea Galanaki
“A festival that is vibrant and meaningful!”
Theodoros Grigoriadis
“...a festival worthy of the greatest in Europe!”
Christos Markogiannakis
“Congratulations to everyone who worked so hard to organize it flawlessly and to all those lucky enough to take part! Thank you from the bottom of our hearts!”
Maria Stassinopoulou
“A unique experience, rich, full of meaning, thought, and human connection. Congratulations, you have achieved something important!”
Katerina Iliopoulou
“Chania at dawn -we’ve climbed the wall that encloses the Venetian Harbor, and we shout so our gratitude can be heard everywhere- a huge and heartfelt thank you to the Chania Book Festival, which embraced us, hosted us, moved us, united us, cultivated us, thrilled us, taught us, soothed us like a prayer...”
Ismini Karyotaki
“There are some missions you look forward to, even if you know it won’t be a walk in the park. For me, the Chania International Book Festival is such a journey -a yearly invitation to meet the spiritual forces of the country and beyond.”
Eleonora Orfanidou, journalist
“Four editions were enough to prove that this Festival is here to stay... it has established its identity as an international event. The organization was impeccable, both in terms of content and technical aspects […] As a guest, you truly feel like you’re at a European-level festival.”
Yannis Baskozos, journalist
“Esteemed writers from all over the world joined their voices with Greek book people, while visitors from different corners experienced the finest book celebration—now international and one of the official institutions of the country.”
Tina Mandilara, journalist
“Those of us who, from the very first year, predicted the longevity of the Festival can now confidently say we were right. The Festival has become an institution with history and a secure future.”
Kostas Katsoularis, journalist
“At the Chania Book Festival, I relived that special magic that cannot be put into words. It is the magic of people—those who write, who speak, who feel. Those I love, admire, and carry inside me.”
Youli Tsakalou, journalist
“Special thanks to the Chania Book Festival for bringing the Sardam Festival into dialogue with other great festivals and organizations from around the world. May we all stay connected in demanding times and keep creating together!”
Sardam Festival
“There’s so much I want to write. That a festival requires an incredible amount of effort to make happen. That, for it to succeed, it needs a strong and united team behind it. That, for it to continue, it needs vision. That, to grow and endure over time, it needs support—a lot of support—resilience, and determination. Above all, it needs love. Because it is always the love for what we do that lights new paths, no matter the difficulties. The Chania Book Festival has all of this, I believe. And it also has an organic way of seeing things, linking its wonderful aesthetics with a unified theme and with the whole city involved. Its heart—dynamic and welcoming—beats with the heart of the city. [...] The theme this year was ‘The planet, our home, our home, the planet’ and we truly felt at home. And when you find a home somewhere, when you feel it within you—in life and in literature—you always want to return...”
Maria A. Ioannou
“The Chania Book Festival has concluded, after many fruitful meetings between audiences and authors from all areas of culture. The hospitality of the Cretan youth won us over, and Chania is always an open destination with its multicultural, multi-historical palimpsest alive in its legacies and its unique, vibrant beauty.”
Thomas Korovinis
“Congratulations to all the organizers of the Chania Book Festival, as they make a decisive contribution to the development of our national cultural capital. I sincerely wish for its long continuation!”
Nikos Panayotopoulos
“It’s amazing,, this book festival is amazing. I have traveled and have many experiences with book festivals, and this one truly is amazing.”
Paulo Scott
Photo Selection:
Full Photo Report of the 4th Chania Book Festival: https://www.flickr.com/photos/chaniabookfestival/albums/
Highlights:
https://bit.ly/youtube-highlights-cbf25
Chania Book Festival Logos:
https://www.chaniabookfestival.gr/press-kit/
Stay up to date via our newly updated, trilingual website (Greek, English, French) at www.chaniabookfestival.gr and through the Festival’s pages on social media:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/chaniabookfestival/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chaniabookfestival/
Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@chaniabookfestival
X: https://x.com/ChaniaBookFest
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@chaniabookfestival
Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/chaniabookfestival/albums
