Ulaanbaatar / MONTSAME /. Under the auspices of the Speaker of the State Great Khural, ‘Book festival -2020’ was organized on September 18-20 at the central square in Ulaanbaatar. 

To revive the tradition and promote interests in reading among the public, including youth and children, the President of Mongolia issued a decree in 2012 to hold an annual Book Festival every Saturday, the third week of September. In line with the decision, ‘Nomyn Soyolt Ertunts’ (literal translation World of Book Culture), together with book publishers and authors has been organizing the book fair twice a year in spring and autumn seasons, providing readers the opportunity to personally meet with their favorite writers, publishing companies and purchase books at a discounted price. 

With an aim of promoting reading, the Book Festival brought together a large number of book-lovers, authors, publishing houses and artists for various book related online and offline activities, such as author talks, discussions, performances, book signings, Meet the Author events, book exchange and book launching events, and workshops, so on. The annual festival usually attracts around 30,000-40,0000 book lovers, 100 publishers and 300 authors.

Moreover, each of the nine districts of Ulaanbaatar city is hosting their own mini book event under the slogan ‘In Your District’ until October 4 with a view to avoid mass gathering as a prevention of COVID-19 outbreak. 

The organization of the three-day event was supported by Ministry of Culture, the government implementing agency of Culture, Governor’s Office of Ulaanbaatar, Book World Club, Children Library, MONTSAME News Agency, Mongol Costumes, MCS Group and others. 

MONTSAME News Agency, which publishes weekly papers in Mongolian, English, Russian, Chinese and Japanese languages as well as the Khumuun Bichig newspaper in traditional Mongolian script and Mongolia Today magazine in English, took part in the book festival to display its works to the public.  Also, the best works of the ‘Foremost Traditional Script Writers of Mongolia’ annual contest organized by MONTSAME agency’s ‘Khumuun Bichig’ newspaper with an aim to select the best hand writers of traditional Mongolian script, were put on public display at the MONTSAME’s booth during the book fair. 

The official opening ceremony of the book fair event, which was organized on September 19, Saturday, was addressed by Parliament Speaker G.Zandanshatar. Within the scope of the book festival, an award titled ‘Wise Book’ was made available to support booklovers, authors and poets, and was presented to a young reader Enerel, and writer L.Turburam and a founder of Tagtaa Publishing B.Bayasgalan. Honorary prizes were also given to prominent Mongolian authors Galsan Tangad, Badarch Puntsag and Dogmid Baljir.