2024-03-24 17:10:33
It was full in the corridors and cramped in front of the stages: the literary scene met in Leipzig for four days. A total of 283,000 people were guests – 9,000 more than last year.
Leipzig.
More people attended the Leipzig Book Fair this year than the year before. The organizers said a total of 283,000 people came to marvel at the industry’s innovations. Last year the trade fair was able to take place again – after a forced break due to Corona.
At that time, 274,000 people were counted. After positive advance sales, the organizers had already expected an increase in visitor numbers this year. The fair ended on Sunday (March 24th).
During the four days of the trade fair, around 100 events took place in the exhibition halls. Among the numerous guests on the various stages were 41 authors – such as Marc-Uwe Kling (“The Kangaroo Chronicles”), Ingrid Noll (“The Pharmacist”), Arne Dahl (“Zero Equals One”) and Paul Maar (“Sam’s”). In addition, other celebrities such as the actress Katja Riemann and the footballer Thomas Hitzlsperger came to the trade fair. According to the organizers, a total of 2,085 exhibitors from 40 countries were there to present their books and new publications.
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) were also among the guests this year – but they did not remain undisturbed. Activists interrupted the Chancellor’s opening speech. According to several witnesses sitting closer, the shouters accused the Israeli government of genocide in the Gaza Strip.
Highlight: Prize for “Mini Horror”
As a highlight of the second most important literary show in Germany after Frankfurt, the Leipzig Book Fair Prize in the fiction category was awarded this year to Barbi Marković for her horror comic novel “Minihorror”. In the non-fiction/essay category, the prize went to the Berlin art historian Tom Holert. Ki-Hyang Lee won in the translation category. The Leipzig Book Fair prize is endowed with a total of 60,000 euros and is awarded in three categories.
This year’s fair was the first under the leadership of the new director Astrid Böhmisch. Last year, long-time trade fair boss Oliver Zille unexpectedly withdrew. The Manga-Comic-Con in its 10th year and the antiquarian book fair in its 30th year also took place on the exhibition grounds. The “Leipzig reads” reading festival also attracted visitors with 2,800 events at 300 locations throughout the city.
As guest countries at the Leipzig Book Fair 2024, the Netherlands and Flanders presented themselves as a shared language and cultural area. “Under the motto “Everything but flat!” we showed what has happened in our literature over the last ten years,” explained the organizers of the guest country events on Sunday. An attempt was made to establish connections that would outlast the Leipzig Book Fair. Next year Norway will be the guest country at the trade fair. The Leipzig Book Fair will take place next year between March 27th and 30th. (dpa)
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