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30.10.2023 #fair #kulturlxnews #literature

Reflection on the Frankfurt Book Fair 2023

This year the Frankfurt Book Fair celebrated its 75th edition. Kultur | lx – Arts Council Luxembourg organised again the national presence bringing together ten Luxembourg publishers (Black Fountain Press, capybarabooks, Editions Guy Binsfeld, Edition Schortgen, Ernster Editions, Hydre Editions, Kremart Editions, PassaParola Editions, PersPektiv Editions and Point Nemo Publishing) which presented their newest publications for the autumn season as well as their publishing programm. The Books From Luxembourg stand, designed by Studio Polenta and featuring work by illustrator Keong-A Song, also showcased the authors and their books awarded with a literary prize and recent translated Luxembourg writer.

Kultur | lx also organised two networking moments, one on 18th and one on 19th October, inviting international professionals to discover the Luxembourg scene and to exchange with Luxembourg publishers and authors, as well as planning new projects and collaborations. Kultur | lx has also produced in cooperation with the National Centre for Literature a Foreign Rights Catalogue presenting several awarded Luxembourg authors, some new releases “hot off the press”, as well as information about translation and publishing support for foreign publishers and professionals from the book sector who wish to contribute to the development and dissemination of Luxembourg’s authors and literary creation.

On Friday 20th October, the Luxembourg author Jeff Schinker, who was shortlisted for the European Union Prize for Literature 2023, participated in a panel, organised by Pro Helvetia, entitled “Accent: Slightly shifted similarities – Writing in small languages” featuring Swiss author Gianna Olinda Cadonau, who writes in Romansh and German, Slovenian author Cvetka Lipuš and moderated by Steven Wyss from the Translation House Looren. The discussion between the authors highlighted the specific context of a multilingual literary scene and what this means for the book market and cultural policy.

The Frankfurt Book Fair remains the most important meeting of the year for the international book sector. With a total of 215.000 visitors, 105,000 of them trade visitors from 130 different countires (in 2022: 93.000) and 110.000 private visitors (in 2022: 87.000), the Book Fair recorded a significant increase in visitors number.