literature
Leipzig Book Fair 2024 with new director
This year’s book fair will not yet bear her signature: Astrid Böhmisch is the new director. photo
© Hendrik Schmidt/dpa
After the difficult Corona period and the departure of its long-time boss, the Leipzig Book Fair wants to consolidate its importance as the industry’s spring show. What can audiences expect this year?
Böhmisch took up her post on January 1st. She emphasized several times that she “jumped up at full gallop.” That means: The 2024 book fair was largely planned when she took office; she couldn’t yet carry her own handwriting. According to Böhmisch, the response from exhibitors is unbroken and is slightly higher than last year. In 2023, 2,082 exhibitors from 40 countries presented themselves in Leipzig.
Federal President announced
Well-known authors as well as stars from the entertainment industry have been announced for the trade fair and the associated festival “Leipzig reads”. Among others, Marc-Uwe Kling, Ingrid Noll and Arne Dahl are expected in Leipzig. Actress Uschi Glas (80) presents her memoirs, and her fellow actors Katja Riemann and Jörg Hartmann are also coming to the book fair.
In addition, the second largest German book fair after Frankfurt is receiving unusual political visitors. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has agreed to take a tour and then wants to discuss the state of democracy in a panel with the authors Ingo Schulze and Anne Rabe.
The Leipzig Book Fair found itself in difficult waters due to the corona pandemic. In 2020, it was one of the first major trade fairs nationwide to have to be canceled. The next two attempts to make the trade fair possible also failed. After the third cancellation – which was forced by large publishing groups withdrawing – a discussion arose about the necessity of the public exhibition. A comeback was made in 2023, and according to the trade fair, all major exhibitors will be there again this year.
The Netherlands and Flanders are presenting themselves as guest countries this year under the motto “Everything but flat”. The guests are planning around 100 events with 41 authors.