First Meeting of the Organizing Committee

of the IX National Children’s Book Festival /May 8-11, 2007/

The first meeting of the Organizing Committee of the IX National Children’s Book Festival /May 8-11, 2007/, which will take place in Sliven, was held on 24 January 2007. The Festival is organized under the aegis of the First Lady of Bulgaria Mrs. Zorka Parvanova, by a tradition. The Festival is organized by “Sava Dobroplodni” Regional Library in cooperation with Sliven Municipality, Sliven Regional Administration, Ministry of culture, Bulgarian Publishers Association, State Agency for Bulgarian s Abroad, Rotary Club – Sliven and other institutions and organizations.

The deputy mayor of Sliven Municipality Miss Ofelia Kaneva, the president of Rotary Club – Sliven Mr. Ivan Hristov, representatives of Sliven Municipality, Sliven Regional Administration, Regional Inspectorate of the Ministry of Education and Science, heads of Humanitarian high-school and II primary school-Sliven, directors of the Dramatic theatre and Sliven Art Gallery, businessmen and other famous persons, well-known for their social and professional prestige attended the first working meeting for the Festival. President of the Organizing committee is the mayor of Sliven Mr. Yordan Lechkov.

In one of the first publications, concerning the event was mentioned that for the first time in Bulgaria there is a literary award with its own statute. The site KNIGI-NEWS.COM outlined that the National award “Konstantin Konstantinov”, established in 2004, rewarded by the organizer of the festival “Sava Dobroplodni” Regional Library-Sliven for a contribution in the children’s book publishing, is the first one with clearly declared statute in the sphere of our literary life. That in fact makes impossible the manipulation during the time of selection of a winner and proves the usefulness of the award for the whole development of our children’s literature. As a tradition the prize has been awarded during the days of the National Children’s Book Festival, in four groups: a great prize for entire contribution to the writing and awards for a publishing house, an author and an illustrator. The winner is selected by a competition for contributions to book-publishing for children in the previous year. The reward consists of a plastic art sculpture, a diploma and money. More information about the award and the winners – on the festival’s web-site: http://childbookfest.iradeum.com.