Presented to journalists, FLIV – which unfolds in two parts and includes a book fair – takes place between 2 and 11 October, in various spaces in the city, with “a great focus on the historic centre, such as Rua Direita and Mercado 2 de Maio, the location of the fair itself”, but also in schools, nursing homes and day centres and even a hotel, as explained by the curator of the event, Teresa Adão.

“All authors are important, but if I may, I would like to highlight the presence of Gonçalo M. Tavares, José Luís Peixoto, Dulce Maria Cardoso, Ana Paula Tavares, Ondjaki, António Torres and Marco Lucchesi,” highlighted Teresa Adão.

Other writers, illustrators, musicians, journalists, and communicators have also been confirmed, such as Rafael Gallo, Leila Ferreira, Fabrice d’Almeida, Ángel de la Calle, Luís Osório, Margarida Davim, Ana Cristina Pereira, Paulo Ferreira, Pedro Chagas Freitas, Mário Augusto, Mário Lúcio, Paolo Capodacqua, Pedro Abrunhosa, Daniel Kondo, Isabel Ponce de Leão, Ariana Cosme, Dionísio Vila Maior, and Carlos Neto.

“We will have the presence of authors from Portugal, of course, Brazil, Angola, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, Spain, France, Italy, and we are seeing if we can also bring someone from China,” said Teresa Adão.

For 10 days, Viseu will host 218 sessions, 92 of which will be in schools, with 174 participants, including authors, moderators, musicians, illustrators, and actors, plus three exhibitions, eight concerts, 35 panel discussions, 18 presentations, and eight book launches.

The curator of FLIV - who works alongside Paulo Santos and Luísa Paolinelli - argued that the objective is "to place Viseu on the international map of book fairs" and, as "more than one session will take place at the same time, the city will have to assert itself as cosmopolitan and people will have to decide which one they prefer," which reveals a "program for all tastes."

"We have what will be the first national meeting of 'bookstagrammers,' that is, those digital influencers from various social networks in the area of ​​culture," announced the president of the Viseu Parish Council, Nuno Bico.

Another unprecedented initiative for the organisers is the "presence of authors in homes and day centres, not only schools, as is already common, but also with older people, and this will be the responsibility of the Viseu writer José Rodrigues."

The sessions in schools, "in all parishes, are not an imposition by publishers or the organisation; it was a choice made by those responsible" for the school community.

Teresa Adão argued that FLIV was conceived in two chapters: from the 2nd to the 7th, the focus "is on local authors, on the people of Viseu, so that they feel valued and that this fair is also with and for them, and then, until the end, the local focus decreases, and the international focus increases, and national authors are always present."

The mayor of Viseu, João Azevedo, highlighted "the very important return" of the Book Fair to Viseu, "something very much missed and awaited by the people of Viseu" and that "it is an incentive, and an obligation of the municipality to promote the use of the book as a pedagogical instrument for education and acculturation."

"And the international dimension that will make this first edition a first step towards having, in the coming years, a festival known and recognised with national and international notoriety," he emphasised.

FLIV is a joint initiative of Teresa Adão, Paulo Santos and Luísa Paolinelli in partnership with the Viseu Parish Council and the Viseu City Council, representing an investment of €100,000 from the parish, "with financial support from the City Council, as João Azevedo stated.