The Black Sea Literary Festival, held from June 6-9, 2024, brought together writers, publishers, translators, and literary managers from Bulgaria, Ukraine, Georgia, Romania, and Turkey. This event provided a platform for participants to engage in various literary readings and sessions, fostering discussions on the diverse aspects, challenges, and best practices within the publishing and literary fields.
In her remarks on LinkedIn, Jobava promoted the festival’s role in bridging cultural and literary gaps among the Black Sea nations and expressed her gratitude to Svetlozar Zhelev for orchestrating this pivotal event, emphasizing its importance for the regional literary community.
On June 7th, Jobava spoke at FARA, the Festival of the Bulgarian Association of Communications Agencies. Her speech, titled “Reading for Freedom: Why is Publishing Essential for Democracy,” delved into the crucial role of publishing in upholding democratic values, drawing from both Georgian and global perspectives.
In her speech, Jobava emphasized the importance of promoting literacy and reading in youth in order to empower democracy, stating: “It is by thinking of our youngest that we best understand my title today:’ Reading for freedom. Why is publishing essential for democracy.’ We want our children to be free. We want our children to be able to understand the world around them. We want them to be able to challenge ideas, to suggest new ways of making our world better. I would think we want our children to live in a democracy. Ladies and gentlemen, if we want these things, then we want our children to read.”