The International Book Fair and the 30th International Art Expo will be held from March 17 to 23, while the 20th International Education Fair "Putokazi" and the 2nd "NS Games & Tech Week" will be held from March 19 to 21, it was announced at today's press conference. For these events, the Novi Sad Fair has the support of the republican and provincial authorities, the City of Novi Sad and numerous cultural organisations and institutions.Aleksandra Ćirić Bošković, Provincial Secretary for Culture, Public Information and Relations with Religious Communities, pointed out that the Provincial Government and the Provincial Secretariat for Culture, Public Information and Relations with Religious Communities will appear as an exhibitor at the International Book Fair in Novi Sad this year as well. "Traditionally, the Provincial Secretariat has a clear motive to support the literary publishing scene in Vojvodina, as well as to provide space for the presentation of publishing ventures of cultural institutions founded by the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina," said Ćirić Bošković. – On Friday, 20 March, the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Archives of Vojvodina will be marked as part of the "100 Years of Memory Keepers" programme, which will be addressed by Dr. Nebojša Kuzmanović, Director of the Archives of Vojvodina. On Thursday, March 19, the 75th anniversary of the Provincial Institute for the Protection of Cultural Monuments will be celebrated, with the promotion of the new issue of the journal "Materials for the Study of Cultural Monuments of Vojvodina XXXVIII," which will be discussed by Dr. Bogdan Janjušević, Professor Dr. Vladimir Barović and Nenad Šeguljev, an expert on the Petrovaradin Fortress. On Wednesday, March 18, 65 years since the opening of the Pavle Beljanski Memorial Collection, museum advisor Milica Orlović Čobanov and senior curator Jasmina Jakšić Subić will speak about the 65th anniversary of the opening of the Pavle Beljanski Memorial Collection. "The year 2026 is also a year of important anniversaries of personalities and institutions that have made an outstanding contribution and left an indelible mark in the history of our people, culture and identity. We have chosen to mark the jubilees that will be presented on the Central Stage of the Novi Sad Fair due to their immeasurable value, and these are the 200th anniversary of the existence of Matica Srpska, the 200th anniversary of the birth of Svetozar Miletić, the 200th anniversary of the birth of Jovan Đorđević and the 220th anniversary of the birth of Jovan Sterija Popović. Therefore, the program of the Provincial Secretariat for Culture, Public Information and Relations with Religious Communities this year focuses on four significant anniversaries, as well as anniversaries of cultural institutions founded by the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina. In addition, various artistic and publishing endeavors of these institutions will be presented, such as the edition "Milici u pohode" and the magazine for contemporary culture "New Thought" of the Cultural Center of Vojvodina "Miloš Crnjanski", the new "Encyclopedia" of the Serbian National Theater, as well as six publications - books and catalogs - of the Museum of Vojvodina, along with numerous other programs, said Aleksandra Ćirić Bošković. During the "Art Expo" exhibition in the Auditorium of the Novi Sad Fair, BelArt Gallery will organize two exhibitions that connect the historical heritage of Vojvodina's art with the contemporary scene of young authors. As part of the program of the Fair, on March 23 at 12 o'clock, the 28th will be awarded. Award for achievements in fine arts "Sava Šumanović", said Vesna Latinović, director of the Gallery "BelArt", who is one of the initiators for the launch of this important recognition. - The exhibition "LZ Treasury of Vojvodina Art: Art Colony Bečej" is realized in partnership with the Bečej City Museum, which inherits the works of artists who participated in the Art Colony Bečej from 1954 to 1998. Colonies such as Ečka, Bečej, Senta and Bačka Topola played a significant role in the democratization of art and the transition of the Yugoslav art scene from socialist realism to modernism and abstraction. The joint work of artists in these colonies encouraged the exchange of ideas and the formation of new artistic circles, which made them an important infrastructure of the artistic life of Vojvodina. The exhibition will present the works of artists , including Milan Konjović, Zoran Petrović, Nikola Graovac, Bogomila Karlavaris, as well as Jožef Ač, Borde Bošan, Milan Kerac, Stevan Maksimović, Milivoj Nikolajević, Aleksandar Luković, Petrik Pal, Dušan Milovanović, Mirjana Šipoš. The second exhibition organized by "BelArt" brings a contemporary perspective through the presentation of young authors from the opus of the project "Galleries on the Strip", an authentic Novi Sad initiative launched in 2019 in cooperation with the "BelArt" Gallery, the Red Cross of Novi Sad and the Rortary Club Novi Sad Danube. As part of the exhibition, the works of young artists Anastasia Maletaškić and Sara Savić will be presented, added Vesna Latinović. She also revealed that the winner of the "Sava Šumanović" Award for achievements in fine arts is Nemanja Nikolić, a multimedia artist from Belgrade. The award will be presented to him on Monday, March 23, at the "Master" Congress Center of the Novi Sad Fair."The International Book Fair in Novi Sad is one of the events that confirms that Novi Sad is a city of culture in which books have a special place. The City of Novi Sad traditionally supports this event within the 'Days of Laza Kostić' programme, but what is even more important for us is the long-term and stable support to books, publishing and reading culture. From 2012 to 2025, the City Administration for Culture allocated almost 158 million dinars (157,996,000) through publishing competitions alone, which supported a large number of domestic publishing projects, authors and new titles, said Maja Čeremidžić Šainović, a member of the City Council for Culture. In 2026, almost 13 million dinars (12,850,000) have been allocated for the competition in the field of publishing, which continues the continuity of support for books and publishing in our city. It is especially important for us to develop a love for books from an early age. That is why this year, as part of the Fair, the "Children's Corner" and a rich programme for the youngest will be organised, which we are implementing in cooperation with numerous city cultural institutions – the Cultural Centre of Novi Sad: the Network of Cultural Stations and the City Concert Hall; The City Library, the Novi Sad Children's Cultural Centre, the Preschool Institution "Radosno Detinjstvo" as well as partners from the cultural and educational sector, added Čeremidžić Šainović.Visitors can expect a rich program of creative, educational and interactive activities that stimulate imagination and love for books, the written word, through workshops, performances and educational activities, which include young and experienced participants and professionals in working with children. Finally, I would like to point out a nice fact, about the importance of book availability, which is evidenced by the fact that the budget of the Novi Sad City Library in 2026 amounts to about 218 million dinars (218,171,832.49), while almost 11 million dinars (10,900,000) are planned for the purchase of books. In this way, we make it possible for the new editions to be available to all citizens, in all parts of the city. By participating in the upcoming Book Fair, we once again confirm that Novi Sad is a city that systematically invests in books, knowledge and reading culture, because we believe that these are the foundations of the long-term cultural development of every society. That is why I invite all families, children, schools and educational institutions from Novi Sad to join us at the Fair, to discover new worlds together through books, learn and fantasize, and for this Fair to be an opportunity for inspiration and creativity for all generations, said Maja Čeremidžić Šainović. -I will try to single out some events that I find interesting, said the editor of the "Days of Laza Kostić" Program, Maja Stokin, at the press conference. - The most important city and provincial institutions are included in the program, and that is why the program is diverse. The winner of the "Laza Kostić" Award will be known on Monday, when the jury consisting of Dr. Mladen Vesković, Prof. Dr. Isidora Bjelaković and Duško Paunković will announce the name. During the Book Fair, the edition "The First Book of Matica Srpska" will be presented, as well as the young authors who have been awarded. Then on Wednesday, I would single out the capital work that has been published – it is the book "The History of the Serbian People in Yugoslavia" published by the Serbian Literary Cooperative, and the promotion of that book will be held on Wednesday. The novelty of this Book Fair is a panel discussion on books where visitors will be able to participate in the discussions. One of them is a panel discussion about Žarko Vidović, where we will have more participants, as well as more exhibitors and publishers who will have the opportunity to present their books about this personality. On Thursday, at the time of the Education Fair "Putokazi", professors, principals and students of Novi Sad schools will participate in one of the forums, and they will talk about "Challenges of Grammar School Education in Contemporary Society" and will talk about this important topic. On the same day, but at the second forum, professors and students will be involved in the discussion, and the topic will be "Artificial Intelligence - its good and bad sides". There will also be a discussion about how the greats are translated, and the guests will be those who have translated Nobel Prize winners. For sports fans, there is a panel on Serbian basketball. A week before the final exam, a panel discussion "How best to prepare the final exam" will be held, where professors from Novi Sad schools will explain to eighth graders how it is perhaps best to do it. The latest collections for the final exam will also be presented. Serbian fantasy in stories and novels will be discussed, and the winners of the awards will be presented, Stokin added. Saturday is World Poetry Day, and the program will also include a topic on how to write and read poetry. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, in the evening, three concerts will be held with the participation of three musical groups. I would also like to single out the program of the Niš Cultural Center, which will deal with jazz, film and comics. About 15 important anniversaries will be celebrated with appropriate programs, both on the stage "Laza Kostić" and at the stands of the secretariat, the Ministry of Culture. Interesting guests from Timisoara and Bulgaria can expect visitors. More information can be found on the website and social networks, said Maya Stokin.- This year we have a large number of exhibitors - about 200, including 25 new participants, which is the largest number so far, said the General Manager of the Novi Sad Fair, Slobodan Cvetković. He pointed out that from March 17 to 23, the Book Fair and the Art Expo "Art Expo" will be held, and from March 19 to 21, the Education Fair "Putokazi" and the Gaming Fair "NS Games & Tech Week", while on Thursday, March 19, the Employment Fair will be held with about 40 companies that will offer about 400 jobs. We will also have an event that we have introduced in the last few months - the Vojvodina Taste Exchange, on March 21, with which we are trying to provide support to small agricultural producers and give them a new form of access to the market, said Cvetković. -The key event is the Book Fair, which this year has 25 new exhibitors, which was not easy to do in these socially complex circumstances. That is why I would like to thank the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Serbia, the Provincial Secretariat for Culture, Public Information and Relations with Religious Communities, the Provincial Secretariat for Education, Regulations, Administration and National Minorities, as well as the City of Novi Sad and numerous cultural institutions that helped to organize such an event, said Cvetković. "As you know, the key place and the key topic is the event "Days of Laza Kostić" and the "Laza Kostić" Award, which will be presented for the best edition published between the two Book Fairs according to our Jury. The Publishing Endeavor Award, the Award for the Best Book in the Field of Children's Literature, the Special Book Fair Award, as well as the Zaharija Orfelin Award for the most beautiful book will also be presented. Important anniversaries will also be marked through a rich program: 200 years of Matica Srpska, 200 years since the birth of Svetozar Miletić and 200 years since the birth of Jovan Đorđević. The 220th anniversary of the birth of Jovan Sterija Popović and other important jubilees in the field of culture and literature will also be marked, which will be thematically discussed on panels, Cvetković pointed out. - In parallel with the Book Fair, the jubilee, thirtieth exhibition "Art Expo" will be held. The central part of this event will be the presentation of the "Sava Šumanović" Award for outstanding achievements in fine arts, which we have been awarding since 1999. Visitors to the event bring a rich program: performances by domestic and foreign publishers, promotions of new editions, meetings with writers, as well as significant fair discounts on books – up to 70%. According to the General Director, Slobodan Cvetkovic, he added that the Fair organizes two Gift Games with exhibitors for visitors. -The programme will be complemented by the Student Cultural Centre of Novi Sad, which has prepared an evening of authorial films, during which three films will be screened: 'Food for Pigeons', 'Heart' and '33rd Day'. From March 19 to 21, the 20th International Education Fair "Putokazi" will be held, where several hundred educational profiles will be presented, and on March 21, the Vojvodina Taste Exchange. Admission to the Fairs will not be charged, and working hours will be from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., except for the last day when working hours will be until 4 p.m. Finally, I would like to thank the City Administration for Education for their support and the Provincial Secretariat for Education, which will participate in the organized arrival of students to our events this year as well, said Cvetković. On the social networks of the Novi Sad Fair, the giveaway lasts until the beginning of the Book Fair. From 17 March, visitors to the events will have the opportunity to participate in the Gift Game prepared by the Novi Sad Fair in cooperation with the exhibitors. So far, the Agora Publishing House, Nojzac Edition (Futura Publications), Graphic Publishing House PI-PRESS, NARATOR Publishing House and PČELICA Publishing and ACADEMIC BOOK have also joined the action.To participate, from March 17 to 23, it will be enough to put the completed coupon in a clearly marked box. The drawing of coupons with the names of the winners of the book package will be organized every day from 7 p.m. On the last day of the Fair, on Monday, March 23, the draw will be organized at 2 p.m.The program of all activities at the upcoming March events can be easily found on the website of the Novi Sad Fair www.sajam.net. Previous Seven titles shortlisted for the "Laza Kostić" Award