Croatian Book Night 2026: United in the love of books to read the world to peace
Featuring more than 1,000 events all across Croatia, the celebratory, 15th edition of the Croatian Book Night kicked off at the National and University Library in Zagreb (NSK) – with great news when it comes to current reading habits in Croatia.
After addresses by the NSK Assistant Director General for University Library Affairs Dr Dijana Machala, Director of the Zagreb City Libraries Dr Sunčica Ostoić, Director of the Centre for Creative Industries, Education and Innovative Entrepreneurship at the Croatian Chamber of Economy Jagoda Divić, President of the Chamber’s Publishers and Booksellers Association Slavko Kozina, State Secretary at the Croatian Ministry of Science, Education and Youth Professor Nikola Mrvac, the opening programme continued with a presentation by Tamara Kraus, from the KARIKA koja nedostaje market research agency, from whom the audience learned the results of the latest survey of the Croatian citizens’ reading and book-related habits and attitudes.
Hurray, reading on the rise in Croatia!
According to the survey’s encouraging results, in the past year 44% of Croatian citizens read at least one book, which represents a significant rise in comparison to the previous year, when the related readership rating was 37%.
As observed in several former surveys, the likelihood that a person falls into this category increases if that person is female (51%), lives in Zagreb, Croatia’s capital, and its surrounding area (51%) or in Istria and Primorje-Gorski Kotar County (59%), holds an academic degree (66%) and in a household with a high income (50%).
Also, we are proud to be part of these positive trends, since libraries are where 40% of Croatian readers get their books, with 46% of them purchasing books that they read.
Following Ms Kraus’s uplifting talk, this year’s Night was officially opened by the Croatian Minister of Culture and Media Dr Nina Obuljen Koržinek.
Young readers – inspired by books and their power to bring peace and promote dialogue
The Night’s opening programme also included the awards ceremony of this year’s Night’s competition for primary and secondary-school pupils organised by the Croatian Association of School Librarians.
Invited to pour their reflections on the power of books into essays and drawings, young readers all over Croatia produced an inspiring collection of works vividly showing how books and reading connect people and promote dialogue.
Books and literature and their messages of peace embodied in other arts
In addition, the programme featured a performance by Croatian interdisciplinary artists Sara Renar and Goran Matović drawing on the verses of a great Croatian poet Tin Ujević (San i ludilo; Dreams and madness) and an exhibition of Croatian Book Night-themed cartoons by Stipe Kalajžić starring the 2026 Night’s mascot Peacebert Bookowski, authored by graphic designer Boris Kuk.
Quizzes, workshops, plays, musical shows…
As one from the wealth of the Night’s events, the Library is hosting a special programme that it organised in cooperation with the Croatian Library Association as part of I WISH TO READ TOO!, a national campaign aimed at persons with print disabilities.
Numerous other events such as quizzes and other types of games and competitions, visual art, writing, music and other creative workshops, reading events, get-togethers with authors, plays, open forums, performances and musical shows, organised by more than 600 organisations and institutions on 266 locations all over Croatia, will again mobilise the Croatian public in a major national celebration of books and reading.
May books always be with you – and so shall be peace!
Photo: © Mirna Bartolić