Libri Bookstores are releasing festive editions of The Book of Herbs, Sándor Márai’s timeless collection of reflections, and The Star Child, a magical youth novel by Mária Szepes that has been out of print for decades. For ten years now, the bookstore chain has offered special holiday editions — this year’s releases promise words of wisdom that serve as a compass for adults both in everyday life and during the festive season, while offering young readers an adventurous story about the power of love, friendship, and courage. Libri’s special editions are available from November 1.
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Charles Dickens, Oscar Wilde, Hans Christian Andersen, L. Frank Baum, E.T.A. Hoffmann, A. A. Milne, as well as Magda Szabó, Endre Ady, Frigyes Karinthy, Gyula Krúdy, and Alaine Polcz — these are some of the authors whose festive editions have been released by Libri over the past ten years, timed to the Christmas season.
Since 2015, the series of festive volumes has been expanding each year. This year, it continues with two new additions: Sándor Márai’s The Book of Herbs, an eternal classic, and Mária Szepes’s youth novel The Star Child.
“The holidays are not only written in red letters on the calendar. Look at how the ancients celebrated — with reverence, with complete devotion, with great ceremony, and with wild joy,” wrote Márai. His 1943 collection of aphorisms — now reissued by Libri Bookstores in collaboration with Helikon Publishing — is one of his most popular and frequently quoted works, offering timeless guidance for both everyday moments and life’s great turning points, as well as for the festive season.
Mária Szepes’s The Star Child, first published in 1976, is a charming and lesser-known youth novel by the author of the beloved Pöttyös Panni series. Its protagonist, Rozi Takács (nicknamed Cricket), embarks on a series of adventures through unknown worlds, learning not only about the wider universe but also about the complex nature of human relationships. The festive edition of The Star Child is published by Libri Bookstores in collaboration with Móra Publishing House.
“Every year, we select the stories for Libri’s festive editions with great love and care — our hearts enter the holiday spirit long before the season begins. As a result, this year we once again offer two beautiful books that are exceptional in both form and content, and which capture the intimacy and warmth of the holidays. We believe that the timeless wisdom of Mária Szepes and Sándor Márai will enrich the festive spirit and accompany readers as quiet teachers throughout the holiday season and beyond,” says Ludvig Orsolya Stefanie, Libri’s Director of Marketing and Communications.
