29th Kraków International Book Fair: John Irving and an adaptation zone

The Kraków International Book Fair, one of the biggest reading events in Poland, will be held for the 29th time this year. The organisers invite visitors to the EXPO Kraków International Fair and Congress Centre from 22 to 25 October 2026. The theme of this year's edition is "Attention: the other person".

Scale of the event

According to the announcement cited by Polish Radio, more than 1,000 authors representing most literary genres and around 500 exhibitors will take part in the fair. The programme includes roughly 1,200 events: author meetings, discussions and launches.

Guests

The best-known international name is the American writer and screenwriter John Irving. He is the author of novels such as "The World According to Garp", "The Hotel New Hampshire", "The Cider House Rules" and "A Prayer for Owen Meany". He won an Oscar for his screenplay adapted for the film "The Cider House Rules". Other announced guests include Yann Martel and the Polish authors Olga Tokarczuk, Szczepan Twardoch and Jakub Żulczyk.

New: the adaptation zone

For the first time, the fair will feature an adaptation zone, intended to bring the publishing and film industries together. The organisers want to show how books make their way onto the screen.

How to approach the fair

With so many stands and events, it is hard to see everything. In its article "What to look out for at the 29th Kraków Book Fair?", Gazeta.pl advises choosing a few reading trails of your own and planning your visit around them, rather than browsing catalogues endlessly.

For people in the UK

The fair is an in-person event in Kraków. For anyone who will be in Poland on those days, it could be an opportunity to buy books in Polish. It is worth checking the detailed programme, opening hours and ticket prices on the organiser's website.