Croatian Book Month 2026 opens in Virovitica
This year’s edition of the Croatian Book Month, traditionally organised by the Zagreb City Libraries public library network under the auspices of the Croatian Ministry of Culture and Media, opened at the Virovitica City Library.
Its over 2,000 events organised by more than 300 institutions will be taking place all across Croatia by 15 November.
The opening programme included addresses by the President of the Month’s Programme and Organising Committee Iva Lorković, Director of the Virovitica library Robert Fritz, the 2026 Month’s Ambassador Lana Ceraj, Vice Mayor of the City of Virovitica Vlasta Honjek-Golinac, Prefect of Virovitica-Podravina County Igor Andrović and the Envoy of the Speaker of the Croatian Parliament Vesna Bedeković.
The Croatian Minister of Culture and Media Dr Nina Obuljen Koržinek officially opened the Month, emphasising the Month’s vital role in the promotion of books and reading at the national level during more than 30 years.
Stories, where all discoveries start
Spotlighting natural sciences and scholarly books and commemorating the anniversaries of the births and deaths of Croatia’s notable researchers and writers, the Month focuses on stories as the starting point for all discoveries and a perfect medium for finding answers to even the most difficult questions.
The nature of sciences, their funny as well as a very rarely seen, intimate side along with their place in books will be the focus of the Month’s central events – the participants in the reading marathon will read excerpts from biographies of famous scientists, scholarly works and encyclopaedias, while the central storytelling event will be an opportunity to hear first-hand about how one lives mathematics, astrophysics, microbiology and biology – from researchers themselves.
This year’s Month’s altogether seven main programmes will traditionally include the celebration on 11 November of the Croatian Libraries Day, while the National and University Library in Zagreb (NSK) will once again host the award ceremony of the Month’s national online quiz (Science starts with reading) as the Month’s closing programme.
Lectures, pub quiz, citizen science survey, online and offline meetups – Month à la NSK
As part of another main Month’s programme and in cooperation with SFera, a Zagreb-based society bringing together the lovers of SF and related genres, NSK will also organise the Science – as in science fiction! (Znanosti koje pokreću SF priču) programme. Aimed at the promotion of the rich history of Croatian science fiction, it consists of an online citizen science survey, a lecture and pub quiz.
As previously, the Library will also be waiving late return charges, and in addition to putting on its exhibition on Marin Getaldić at the Dubrovnik Natural History Museum, it will organise a webinar on the impact of the discoveries of Nikola Tesla, Lavoslav Ružička and Vladimir Prelog and a special edition of its all-year-round heritage interpretation programme focusing on the early works of Croatia’s world-famous mathematician, physicist, astronomer, philosopher, diplomat and poet Ruđer Josip Bošković (Ruggero Giuseppe Boscovich) in the Library’s collection.
Here are the Croatian Book Month à la NSK dates, hours, venues:
15 October – 15 November 2026, online
Science – as in science fiction!, citizen science survey
15 October – 15 November 2026, Dubrovnik Natural History Museum
NSK exhibition spotlighting the legacy of Marin Getaldić (Marin Getaldić – 400 godina poslije)
19 October 2026, 18.00, Zagreb City Libraries, Vladmir Nazor Library Zagreb
Science – as in science fiction!, lecture by Croatian SF authors Mirko Karas and Dalibor Perković
20 October 2026, 13.00, NSK (CroAtrium, conference hall Judita)
Heritage at Hand at CroAtrium event spotlighting Ruđer Josip Bošković’s first work
28 October 2026, online
webinar on the impact of the discoveries of Nikola Tesla, Lavoslav Ružička and Vladimir Prelog
9 November 2026, 20.00, Caffe bar & Night Club Spunk
Science – as in science fiction!, pub quiz
11 – 14 November 2026
Just return that overdue book and you will completely be let off the hook!
NSK waving late return charges programme
Pick yours of all the Month’s stories – exciting discoveries are guaranteed!
Photo: © NSK