Over 200 events, dozens of meetings with authors, as well as concerts, workshops, and literary walks after dusk – it all awaits the guests of Indie Bookstores Night 2020 between 15 and 17 October. Because of the pandemic, part of the events will be held online.
Indie Bookstores Night is a Polish nationwide literary festival organized since 2019 by OSDW Azymut – a book distribution company. The first edition was a huge success, with thousands of readers visiting over 100 independent bookstores throughout the country.
This year’s program contains such attractions as meetings with acclaimed authors, educational workshops, concerts, exhibitions, lectures, literary walks, a dedicated series of online events, but first and foremost – a chance to visit the independent bookstores at night.
Just like last year, organizers have invited acclaimed writers, artists and children’s literature authors. Among them: Katarzyna Nosowska, Zygmunt Miłoszewski, Jakub Szamałek, Wojciech Chmielarz, Jakub Małecki, Dorota Masłowska, Zyta Rudzka, Aneta Jadowska, Marcin Szczygielski, Mikołaj Grynberg, Daniel de Latour, Agata Passent, Marcin Świetlicki, Wojciech Drewniak (from the YouTube channel “Historia bez cenzury”), and Kamil Janicki.
Zygmunt Miłoszewski (photo: Karolina Zajączkowska), Katarzyna Nosowska (
photo: Rafał Masłow), Wojciech Chmielarz (photo: Wojciech Rudzki), Dorota Masłowska (photo: Michał Borecki), Wojciech Drewniak, Zyta Rudzka.
As the opportunities for participation will be limited due to the pandemic, the organizer has also prepared special online events, like live streamings from the meetings with the authors, podcasts, virtual lectures and workshops, contests, quizzes, special movie productions, and online exhibitions.
Due to the fact that the year 2020 in Poland was announced the Leopold Tyrmand year, the second edition of the festival will honor this writer. That’s why the opening event will be dedicated to this renowned Polish author – the guests will have a chance to meet Leopold Tyrmand’s biographer, Marcel Woźniak. Participants in Warsaw and Cracow will be able to take a walk around the cult bookstores known from Tyrmand’s writings and biography.
Another important part of this year’s edition is a special series of events dedicated to ecology organized in collaboration with the European Commission Representation in Poland. The events, dedicated to the EU Green Deal initiative, include, among others, meetings with scientists, eco workshops, the exhibition of instruments made from recycled materials, and the Czereśnie band concert.
The 2020 edition will also address the crisis in the bookselling industry caused by the pandemic. The Indie Bookstore Night will be accompanied by the second edition of the action “Book on the phone” (www.ksiazkanatelefon.pl), which encourages readers to shop in the local independent bookstores.
The detailed program of the Indie Bookstores Night can be found here: www.nocksiegarn.pl.
Independent bookstores participating in the second edition of the Bookstores Nights are obliged to follow the sanitary regime in accordance with guidelines by the Chief Sanitary Inspector and recommendations of the Ministry of Health. Due to the pandemic, the number of participants in every event will be limited and guests should make reservations directly in the bookstores. All participants are obliged to wear masks covering their mouth and nose.
The Independent Bookstores Night 2020 is organized by the book distribution company OSDW Azymut and co-financed by the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage from the Fund for the Promotion of Culture.
Some of this year’s edition participants:
● Katarzyna Nosowska
● Zygmunt Miłoszewski
● Jakub Szamałek
● Jacek Galiński
● Wojciech Chmielarz
● Zyta Rudzka
● Dorota Masłowska
● Kamil Janicki
● Wojciech Drewniak – Historia bez cenzury
● Marcin Świetlicki
● Agata Passent
● Ryszard Koziołek
● Mariusz Czubaj
● Marcel Woźniak
● Karolina Sulej
● Zośka Papużanka
● Aneta Jadowska
● Marcin Szczygielski
● Mikołaj Grynberg
● Daniel de Latour
Indie Bookstores Night online:
Teaser:
Contact for media:
Maja Sztenke, +48 602 455 787, maja@steinke.com.pl
Press spokeswoman:
Anna Karczewska, anna.karczewska@agencjakultura.pl