Bookshops, public libraries and publishing houses across Greece will open their doors for the 11th annual Book Walk on Saturday, April 26, as the country marks World Book Day with a nationwide celebration of reading and literature.
Organized by the Greek Publishers Association and aligned with UNESCO's April 23 international observance, the 2026 edition runs under the motto "I read and I change."
Events spanning the greater Athens area and cities nationwide will run from morning until late evening, offering readers direct access to novelists, poets, translators and publishers through signings, panel discussions and communal literary gatherings.
The Book Walk has grown over its eleven years into one of Greece's most anticipated cultural events, drawing readers of all ages and backgrounds into an experience that extends literature beyond the solitary act of reading into a shared public celebration.
Participants following the literary routes this year will receive commemorative tote bags containing bookmarks, pencils and posters.
The event comes as Greek publishing navigates the same pressures facing the industry across Europe — rising production costs, competition from digital platforms and shifting reading habits among younger audiences — making grassroots initiatives that bring readers physically into bookshops increasingly valuable for independent publishers and booksellers.
A full schedule of events across the country is available on the Greek Publishers Association's official website.
World Book Day, established by UNESCO in 1995 and observed on April 23 — the date of the deaths of both Miguel de Cervantes and William Shakespeare — is marked in more than 100 countries.