Rushdie to give in-person talk at Frankfurt Book Fair

Salman Rushdie, Cornelia Funke and Amir Gudarzi will appear as guests at the Literature Gala, held during the Frankfurt Book Fair on Saturday 21st October 2023.

Rushdie will be awarded the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade this year. At the event, the author will talk about his new book Victory City (Jonathan Cape) in a rare public appearance following the attack he suffered in the summer of 2022.

In a recent interview to mark the 75th Frankfurter Buchmesse, Rushdie emphasised the importance of the book fair as a place of democratic exchange.

"Frankfurter Buchmesse is one of the most important cultural forums in the Western world," he said. "Its influence lies precisely in the free exchange of ideas, through books, between many cultures. Such exchanges are vital to social transformation, and to democracy."

The fair’s director Juergen Boos added: "I was moved that Salman Rushdie is not missing the opportunity to meet the audience in Frankfurt in person, in addition to attending the award ceremony for the Peace Prize. It is a great honour for me to welcome Salman Rushdie once again to the Frankfurter Buchmesse."

When asked about security arrangements, organisers said: "The security of our visitors and exhibitors is a top priority for us. In cooperation with Messe Frankfurt and the Frankfurt police, Frankfurter Buchmesse draws up a comprehensive security concept every year. This ensures not only the safety of the general public, but also the protection of particularly endangered persons, politically persecuted authors, top international politicians and members of royal families attending Frankfurter Buchmesse."

Christopher Clark, Lizzie Doron and Thomas Hettche will also be guests at the the Literature Gala, which will be hosted by publicist Thea Dorn and critic Denis Scheck. The event will focus on the authors’ books, as well as the current major political and social upheavals and the challenges of the future.

Rushdie, Clark and Doron will be speaking in English, while other parts of the event will be in German.