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11.05.2023 #fair #literature #publishing

Reflection on the Leipzig Book Fair

© Two Steps Twice

After a long hiatus, the Leipzig Book Fair took place again from the 27th until 30th April. This year, Kultur | lx – Arts Council Luxembourg organised the national presence bringing together six Luxembourg publishers (Black Fountain Press, Capybarabooks, Editions Guy Binsfeld, Hydre Editions, Kremart Editions and Point Nemo Publishing, which presented their newest publications. The Book Fair is the second largest one in Germany and the first large trade meeting of the year.

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The award ceremony for the European Union Prize For Literature took also place on 28th April at the Leipzig Book Fair. The European Union Prize for Literature (EUPL) recognises emerging fiction writers from the European Union and beyond. Luxembourg author Jeff Schinker was one of the nominees for “Ma vie sous les tentes. This year’s prize was awarded to the Croatian writer Martina Vidaić.

In the context of Leipzig Liest, the largest European Reading Festival, two events with Luxembourgish authors took place. On 29th April, Maxime Weber, Claire Schmartz, Samuel Hamen and Nico Helminger (aka Tomas Bjørnstad) read from their latest publication at the naTo in Leipzig, and discussed with Thomas Hummitzsch, who moderated the event, about the topic “What if…? Between fiction and speculation”. The audience got to discover speculative and dystopic Fiction from Luxembourg. On Sunday, 30th April, Editions Guy Binsfeld co-organised with Kultur | lx a “Liesmatinée Crémant-Mélange: österreich trifft Luxemburg – Stadtgeflüster” with the Luxembourg author Nico Helminger (aka Tomas Bjørnstad) and the Austrian author Ferdinand Schmalz at the Leipzig Book Fair.

With 274.000 visitors, the Leipzig Book Fair provides an important platform to promote and boost the profile of Luxembourgish literature, the authors and publishing houses. Readings at Leipzig Liest allow the authors to present their work and for the audience to discover the diverse Luxembourgish literary creation. Furhtermore, the presence at the book fair allow Luxembourgish authors and editors also to meet and connect with other writers, publishers, and literary agents for new collaborations, as well as new opportunities for new projects