The 24th Jerusalem International Book Fair opens tonight, bringing together 1,200 publishers, agents, editors and authors from 40 countries with book lovers from around the country. The bienniel event kicks off with an award ceremony led by President Shimon Peres and Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat to present Japanese author Haruki Murakami with this year's Jerusalem Prize.
The judging panel for the prize includes Haaretz Editor-in-Chief Dov Alfon as chair, Hebrew Professor Dwora Gilula of Hebrew University and author Etgar Keret. The judges hailed Murakami as "the best-known and best-loved Japanese author in the West, due in no small part to the unique mixture in his works of Japanese culture and modern Western culture."
"It is easy to read Murakami, but it is not easy to understand him. His literary language is minimalist and lucid, turning him into a highly accessible writer, but the full complexity of his literary world is revealed right at the outset," they said.
The Jerusalem Prize has been awarded since 1963 to the "writer able to best express the freedom of man and society." Past winners include Bertrand Russell, Jorge Luis Borges, Susan Sontag and Arthur Miller.
Among foreign writers scheduled to appear at the book fair are Adolfo Garcia Ortega of Spain, Roberto Calasso of Italy, Afghan-born Atiq Rahimi of France and Mary Gordon of the United States.
The event will also include a "literary cafe" series in which prominent Israeli literary figures discuss their work with fellow writers from abroad, with the general public invited as well.
Tomorrow evening Israeli writer Dror Mishani will meet France's Yann Appery and Nicolas Farges, and Poland's Marek Krajewski. Later in the evening Amos Oz will hold forth on his new book, "Rhyming Life and Death," followed by a performance by singer Ronit Ophir.
Tuesday morning brings a panel discussion with writers and publishers from Israel and France to discuss the adoption of the ''French Fixed Book Price Law'' in Israel. The evening's program includes an event hosted by novelist David Grossman and musical performances by Yoni Rechter, Eran Tzur and Rona Keinan.
Visitors attending Wednesday can take in a panel discussion between French and Israeli comics artists, and Nir Baram and Dori Manor will hold an open conversation with Polish authors Michal Witkowski and Jacek Dehnel on current Polish literature.
On Thursday Rana Verbin will meet Alon Hilu and Yossi Sarid on the subject of "Alternative and Imaginative History." That evening Meir Shalev will host the literary cafe, where he will read from his new book.
