Book Festival in Belém from September 25th to 28th with another concert

The other four concerts already on the program will remain, with some adjustments. On the opening day of the festival, Thursday, September 25th, there will now be two concerts, one by Carolina Deslandes and the Rui Veloso Trio. Following, from Friday to Sunday, will be Bárbara Tinoco, Fernando Daniel, and Xutos & Pontapés, with one concert per night.

There will also be a debate on "Portugal and the Future", with Manuela Ferreira Leite and António Barreto, moderated by Pedro Mexia, rescheduled for the afternoon of Saturday, September 27.

The Book Festival at Belém Palace was scheduled for September 4th to 7th, but was canceled by the President of the Republic due to the accident with the Glória elevator in Lisbon, which left 16 dead and several seriously injured, which occurred the day before the start of this initiative.

It was rescheduled for September 25-28, maintaining the four-day duration, from Thursday to Saturday, and the respective program was published today on the official website of the Presidency of the Republic.

"With free admission, there will be four days of readings, debates, many books, lots of music, educational games, and presentations. Seventy publishers will be present, representing a total of 280 publishing brands, with 122 stands," reads the note published today.

The same note states that the Book Festival is an "initiative of the President of the Republic to promote works and authors in the Portuguese language" and that this year's edition is once again organized by the Portuguese Association of Publishers and Booksellers (APEL) and in partnership with Lisbon's municipal libraries.

The official opening ceremony will be at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 25. Entrance to Belém Palace will be via the Presidency of the Republic Museum Shop or the Tropical Botanical Garden.

This will be the eighth and final edition of the Book Festival in the Belém Palace gardens during the mandates of Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, who launched this initiative in his first year as head of state, 2016, in collaboration with APEL, to promote reading.

In the palace gardens, in addition to stalls selling books and signings, there are debates, films, music, and activities for children. The Book Festival was canceled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Read Also: Book Festival in the gardens of Belém Palace rescheduled for the end of the month