The 8th Hanoi Book Festival will return to the pedestrian area of Hoan Kiem Lake in downtown Hanoi from October 6 to 8, helping to spread reading culture to many local and international readers, according to the city's Department of Information and Communication.

The event, which has become a popular cultural rendezvous for bookworms, is one of the activities to celebrate the 69th anniversary of the capital's Liberation Day (October 10, 1954-2023) and the 71st anniversary of the traditional day of Vietnam's book publishing, printing and distribution sector (October 10, 1952-2023).

A scene at the seventh edition of the Hanoi Book Festival last year. Photo courtesy of the organizer

The book festival has been held in the capital city annually and has become a must-visit destination for book lovers every year in October. With the theme "Lighting the Fire of Knowledge-Creating the Future",  Hanoi Book Festival 2023 is expected to attract the participation of local and international publishers who will present various genres of books in 200 to 250 booths, ranging from comic books, novels, literature, and political literature to bookworms.

The highlight of the book fair will be a bookshelf introducing the culture and history of Thang Long-Hanoi. The event will be accompanied by book launch ceremonies for bestsellers and book trading activities. There will also be many other cultural exchange activities and reading contests. According to the organizers, changing the venue to an open space shaded by many trees will create a favorable reading space while facilitating cultural exchange activities and discussions between authors and readers.

On September 25, the Reading Culture Ambassador Contest 2023 was launched in Hanoi with the theme "Book: Connecting Knowledge-Creating the Future".

The contest draws the participation of roughly a million students every year and has become a forum for instilling a love of reading in the younger generation.

The contest aims to develop the participants' thinking skills and creativity. They are encouraged to paint, compose poems, write short stories and stage plays, among other activities. Entries must be submitted by October 15.