Portimão Book Fair offers culture by the waterfront

Portimão’s annual Book Fair returns this week, bringing more than two weeks of author talks, signings, performances and family activities to the city’s historic Antiga Lota waterfront venue.

Running from June 19 to July 5, the free open-air event will feature a wide range of publishers, booksellers and cultural organisations, alongside a packed programme designed to appeal to readers of all ages.

Organised by Portimão City Council and Promobooks.net, in partnership with Bookas.pt, Páginas Otimistas and cultural agent Analita Alves dos Santos, the fair aims to promote reading and strengthen access to literature and culture across the municipality.

Visitors can browse book stalls daily from 10am to 1pm and from 6pm until midnight.

This year’s edition will welcome a host of acclaimed Portuguese authors and cultural figures, including Gonçalo M. Tavares, Inês Pedrosa, Teolinda Gersão, Pedro Chagas Freitas, David Machado, Raul Minh’Alma and Rita Redshoes.

The programme also features literary discussions, book launches, autograph sessions and debates covering topics such as contemporary fiction, creative writing, investigative journalism, poetry and young adult literature.

Families and younger readers will be catered for through storytelling sessions, creative workshops, sensory activities and interactive reading experiences led by authors, educators and reading specialists.

Live music, dance performances and collaborative arts projects will further broaden the event’s appeal and reinforce its role as one of Portimão’s leading cultural initiatives.

The Book Fair forms part of the municipality’s wider commitment to promoting culture, education and community engagement, while positioning Portimão as a key destination for literary events in the Algarve.

Inês Lopes

Newspaper editor at The Portugal Resident