(Communicated by the Israel Ministry of Tourism)

The Jerusalem International Book Fair, a biennial Israeli mainstay event which attracts 600 publishers and authors from more than 30 countries displaying more than 100,000 books written in numerous languages, will take place from February 10-15, 2013 at the International Convention Center in the city.

Celebrating its jubilee year, the Jerusalem International Book Fair will award the prestigious Jerusalem Prize to acclaimed Spanish author Antonio Muñoz Molina. The prize is awarded to an author whose work best expresses and promotes the idea of the "freedom of the individual in society".

Speakers at the February 10th opening event will include President Shimon Peres, Culture and Sports Minister Limor Livnat and Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat, who will present Molina with the Jerusalem Prize.

With the exception of the invitation-only opening ceremony, all of the Book Fair's programs are open to the public and free of charge. A perennial favorite event is the Literary Café, which offers open and engaging dialogue between Israeli and international writers in a setting designed as a coffee shop.

The Book Fair hosts numerous international seminars and symposia exploring a wide range of subjects, including literary criticism and blogging, selling books in a digital age, translation and others. Furthermore, this year's fair showcases art books, historic scrolls and archival posters. Participating countries, representing every continent, display exhibitions which enable visitors to explore the richness of transnational literature.