AZG Armenian Daily #103, 07/06/2005

Exhibition

ARMENIAN PAVILION AT INTERNATIONAL BOOK EXHIBITION IN THESSALONICA

Karapet and Anahit Galfayans together with Hay Dat Commission displayed
around 150 books at the international exhibition of books in Thessalonica,
on May 28. The Armenian pavilion presented the albums of Martiros Sarian,
Vardges Sureniantz, the album of “Genealogy Carpets” from Nagorno Karabakh,
encyclopedias of Areg publishing house, “Diaspora” encyclopedia, 6 volumes
of “States Accepting Armenian Genocide” published by Museum-Institute of
Armenian Genocide etc. The number of publishing houses taking part in the
exhibition was 50. After the exhibition all books for children from the
Armenian pavilion were presented to the Armenian school of Thessalonica.

“Visitors showed special warmth to the Armenian pavilion. Officials,
ministers and others were coming up to us. People were particularly
interested in works of art. Unfortunately there are few such books in
Armenia. We seem to be satisfied with publishing books with gray covers on
state money”, Vahan Khachatrian, chairman of National Association of
Publishers, told yesterday a press conference.

The most striking for the Armenian delegation in Greece was to see the love
and interest of the locals as well as participants from Diaspora towards
books — something that has diminished in Armenia. There are certainly book
exhibitions in Armenia but in considerably small sizes. “We are going to
organize such an exhibition at the Opera hall but the question is how many
people it will pull in. We have to think of organizing international
exhibitions that will attract more than 30 publishers, will create
conditions for development of book publishing and will restore our
devotional approach to books”, he added.

Polygraphic features of our books have long ago equaled with the standards
of international market but that is not enough for holding an international
exhibition. The most important thing is the state policy in this sphere and
love for reading among our officials. “Our state officials do read, but…
draft laws, government decisions and other stuff. No one reads fiction “.

By Ruzan Poghosian