Representatives of 800 book publishers from 40 countries gathered in the capital this week for Sunday's opening of the 23rd Jerusalem International Book Fair.

This year's fair, which will continue until Friday, seems more festive than in previous years. There are more guests from foreign countries, more food stands, and a literary cafe where local and foreign authors can meet their readers.

The fair, which has more of a cultural feel than a commercial one, was founded by former Jerusalem mayor Teddy Kollek in 1963. It provides an opportunity for publishing professionals to make contacts, get updated on what's going on in the industry and have fun together.

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Israeli author Zeruya Shalev said Sunday that the Jerusalem book fairs have had a major influence on her work, especially since it used to be far less common for Israelis to travel abroad extensively.

"When I look back on the lives of my books, I know that here, at this fair, they were given their first opportunity, and for that I am grateful," she said at a press conference ahead of the opening of the book fair. "Since then, I have had the opportunity to visit quite a few book fairs around the world, but regardless, no fair is as significant for me as the Jerusalem fair this is our home, and here everything begins. This is where the inspiration comes from, and this is where the plots twist from."

Italian author Erri De Luca, who learned Hebrew and Yiddish on his own, spoke about his connection to Israel and to Jerusalem.

De Luca, Shalev, Vice Premier Shimon Peres and Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni helped launch a project in which people from around the world write one of the 23,127 verses from the Bible in their own language. Peres chose the verse "Love thy neighbor as thyself."