Gwangmyeong City to Host Citizen-Created "Book Festival" with Schools Joining

Gwangmyeong City Accepting Applications for Book Festival Booth Operators Until August 26
Citizens to Lead the Spread of Reading Culture with a Variety of Programs Including Performances, Experiences, and Book Market

Gwangmyeong City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Park Seungwon) announced on the 7th that it is accepting applications for participants to operate booths at the "2026 Gwangmyeong City Book Festival" until August 26.

Gwangmyeong City to Host Book and Culture Festival Created by Citizens. Photo by Gwangmyeong City

The festival will be held on September 19 at the lawn square of the Gwangmyeong Citizens’ Gymnasium. It will be a citizen-participation reading culture event, using books as a medium to bring together people of all ages—including children, teenagers, and adults—as well as diverse members of the local community.

This year, the range of participants has been expanded. In addition to public and small libraries, reading clubs, local bookstores, and related organizations and groups, schools and school libraries have also been added as eligible applicants. Students will be able to directly plan programs and operate booths, giving them the opportunity to participate as leading members of the festival.

The recruitment categories are: ▲ experiential promotion booths introducing major Gwangmyeong City projects ▲ themed citizen-participation experience booths operated by small libraries and reading communities ▲ book and talent market booths featuring participation by local bookstores, publishers, social enterprises, fair trade shops, and ateliers ▲ flea market booths planned and run directly by citizens.

Anyone interested in books and culture—including public and small libraries, schools, reading communities, local bookstores, publishers, organizations, and groups, as well as any citizen of Gwangmyeong City—can participate.

Those who wish to participate may download the application form from the Gwangmyeong City Library website, fill it out, and then submit it via email by August 26.

Mayor Park Seungwon stated, "Books nurture the thoughts of citizens and are the closest cultural resource connecting people. Through a book festival created and participated in directly by citizens, we will foster a reading culture that brings books into everyone's everyday life."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.