The 13th edition of the fair ran for 17 days, from 21 August to 6 September, bringing together 144 publishers, booksellers and second-hand book dealers — 13 more than last year.

Visitors could choose from more than 200 activities and over 400 hours of programming, including conversations with writers, exhibitions, theatre, daily concerts and sessions created especially for children.

Around 41,000 people visited the fair during its first two days, around 20% more than during the same period last year.

The first two Saturdays were also the busiest recorded since the fair returned to the Palácio de Cristal gardens. Saturday, 29 August, became the most popular single day since the event moved to its current location.

Attendance could have been even higher if the weather had been more favourable. Heavy rain and strong winds forced organisers to close the outdoor stands and areas on Monday, 24 August, while the opening was delayed two days later.

Despite the disruption, visitors quickly returned once conditions improved.

Porto’s councillor for culture, Jorge Sobrado, described the event as a reunion between the city and books, reading, authors and the different art forms built around words.

This year’s fair paid tribute to Porto poet Inês Lourenço. Its international guests included Palestinian poet and journalist Mohammed El-Kurd and French-Moroccan poet and artist Rim Battal.

Alongside its literary programme, the fair once again offered music, theatre and activities for younger visitors, turning the Palácio de Cristal gardens into one of Porto’s main cultural meeting places at the end of summer.

The final attendance of 231,000 confirms the event as one of the city’s largest cultural celebrations, despite two days being affected by poor weather.