German Chancellor Scholz and Slovenian President Pirc Musar to open Frankfurt Book Fair

German Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz and Slovenian President Nataša Pirc Musar will open the 75th Frankfurt Book Fair on Tuesday 17th October 2023.

Slovenia is the Guest of Honour at this year’s fair, and under the motto “Honeycomb of Words”, 75 Slovenian authors, poets and translators are expected to appear at the event.

Following the ceremony at Messe Frankfurt’s Congress Center, the Federal Chancellor and Slovenian president will open the Guest of Honour Pavilion.

Juergen Boos, director of the fair, said: “From its beginnings in St Paul’s Church until today, Frankfurter Buchmesse has stood for democracy and diversity. For the 75th time, the book fair will serve as a platform for democratic exchange. It is also a cultural marketplace.

“Publishers and authors, literature and culture fans from over 100 countries can come together here in a safe and peaceful environment. The presence of Germany’s Federal Chancellor and Slovenia’s President at the opening ceremony underscores the fair’s importance for democracy, freedom and understanding on an international level.”

Other speakers at the opening ceremony will include Boos, Karin Schmidt-Friderichs, chair of the German Publishers & Booksellers Association, and Mike Josef, Mayor of the city of Frankfurt am Main.

The literary speakers, who are traditionally chosen by the Guest of Honour Committee, will be author and philosopher Slavoj Žižek and author Miljana Cunta. The fair will take place from 18th to 22nd October 2023.