Due to its strategic location, between East and West, Tbilisi has been dominated by numerous powers throughout the ages. In that aspect it resembles another citybooks’ city, Skopje which lies at the heart of the Balkans and just like Tbilisi unites East and West.
Three Georgian writers were chosen for this edition along with two writers from the Low Countries. The Georgian writers are Lasha Bugadze, Shota Iatashvili and Ana Kordzaia-Samadashvili. From April to May 2011 Dutch writer Frank Westerman and the Flemish author Stefan Hertmans stayed in Tbilisi both to work on their citybook contribution and to take part in public events linked to it.
For the pictorial side of citybooks Tbilisi, the young Georgian photographer Kakha Kakhiani and the Flemish artist Filip Berte were approached. Filip Berte’s contribution also forms part of 'The Graveyard', itself a part of the photographic project, Eutopia. In 'The Graveyard', Filip Berte’s lens delves its way into the countries on the edge of the European Union and goes in search of society’s socially vulnerable groups there.
citybooks Tbilisi came about with the cooperation of the Dutch Embassy in Tbilisi, the city council of Tbilisi, Europe House, the George Leonidze State Literary Museum of Georgia and the National Parliamentary Library of Georgia.
