Serbian Book Fair hit by publisher boycott as it plans move to EXPO Surčin

The Board of the Association of Publishers and Booksellers of Serbia (UIKS) urged its members to withdraw from this year's Serbian Book Fair. As a result, leading publishers such as Laguna, Delfi, Kreativni centar, Čarobna knjiga, Partenon, Pčelica, Dereta, Finesa, IPC Media and Kontrast have announced they will not take part.

A new Fair Board was elected in March without any publisher representation. Belgrade culture secretary Jelena Medaković said participation is not a legal obligation for publishers, but they can still engage through direct communication. Publishers have repeatedly requested full board membership and have sent letters demanding a change in the board’s stance, receiving no response.

Organisers plan to relocate the fair to the EXPO 27 complex in Surčin. Publishers argue that the relocation "will be an extremely large and dangerous challenge for the future of the Book Fair in Belgrade" and view the organizers as not treating them as constructive partners. The boycott follows a decline in visitor numbers last year and threatens further drops in attendance.