After a three-year Corona break, the Leipzig Book Fair has been officially opened. More than 2000 exhibitors from 40 countries take part. More than 3000 events await visitors.
The Leipzig Book Fair 2023 was opened with a ceremony in the Gewandhaus on Wednesday evening. Traditionally, the Leipzig Book Prize for European Understanding was awarded, which this year the Russian-Jewish author Maria Stepanova goes. This is the first time the book fair has taken place since 2019 – it had been canceled for the past three years due to the corona pandemic. From Thursday to Sunday, the fair also opens to the public.
The Leipzig Book Fair is taking place again for the first time since 2019. Because of the corona pandemic, it was canceled several times. However, the organizers are expecting a smaller audience in 2023 than back then.
Book fair director Oliver Zille told the MDR, he is happy that it is finally starting again. There is an “unconditional, super-strong will in the book industry” to “lead the book fair to success again”. As far as visitor numbers are concerned, however, Zille had already dampened expectations in advance. It would be a success if 60 percent of the pre-crisis year 2019 were reached – that would be around 130,000 visitors.
Minister of State for Culture Claudia Roth emphasized the importance of the book fair: “Leipzig is the oldest book fair. It is one of the largest and most important in all of Europe. It is the book fair that builds a bridge to Central and Eastern Europe.” This is also “of central importance in times of war in Ukraine,” said the Green politician.
Such a fair is a celebration of democracy because literature is a voice of democracy.
Claudia Roth, Minister of State for Culture |
Leipzig Book Fair as a public fair
According to the organizers, more than 2,000 exhibitors from 40 countries have registered for the fair. The Leipzig Book Fair is primarily a fair for the public: at the accompanying reading festival “Leipzig Reads” there are 350 places in the exhibition halls and throughout the city more than 3,000 events planned.
Every year there is a large crowd at the ARD Forum on the Book Fair site, where prominent guests present their new publications.
There are many to experience prominent authors, such as former Chancellor Angela Merkel, crime writer Sebastian Fitzek with his first non-crime novel, moderator Eckart von Hirschhausen or Tocotronic singer Dirk von Lowtzow. In addition, many want young authors find an audience at the fair. Also for children there are many readings.
Austria presents itself in Leipzig as a guest country
The guest country of the Leipzig Book Fair 2023 is Austria. Several hundred Austrian authors and publishers present their books, for example Robert Menasse, Arno Geiger, Robert Seethaler, Teresa Präauer, Franzobel and Erika Fischer. Also the renowned one Prize of the Leipzig Book Fair will be awarded again, traditionally on the Thursday of the fair. There are 15 names on the shortlists for the three award categories, including Ulrike Draesner, Angela Steidele, Clemens J. Setz, Jan Philipp Reemtsma and Antje Ravik Strubel.
For the first time, the Leipzig Book Fair is also focusing on comics, manga and graphic novels with the reading compass. Because as part of the book fair, the Manga Comic Con takes place again, the most important German spring event for the manga and comic scene.
Source: Book Fair, dpa, epd, own research, editing: Hendrik Kirchhof