Romania will be participating, from Thursday to Sunday, in the Leipzig Book Fair, one of the most important European events dedicated to literature and the publishing industry.
According to a release sent on Tuesday by the Ministry of Culture, the fair brings together over 2,000 exhibitors from dozens of countries and attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. Through its emblematic program "Leipzig Liest" [Leipzig Reads], the entire city is transformed into a literary scene, with thousands of readings, debates and meetings with authors in bookstores, cafes, theaters and cultural spaces.
The theme of this year's edition - "Where Words Flow - Literary Currents in Southeast Europe / Danube - Strong Currents and Between Worlds" - puts the cultural space of the Danube in the foreground and the dialogue between the literary identities of the ten riparian countries, including Romania.
Romania's participation is organized by the Ministry of Culture, in partnership with the Romanian Cultural Institute Berlin and Traduki, and includes an extensive program, with over 20 events: book launches, public readings, debates and professional meetings dedicated to the publishing industry. Approximately 30 guests - authors, translators, researchers and book professionals from Romania, the Republic of Moldova, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Hungary, Switzerland and Chile - will be present in Leipzig.
The Romanian stand, located in Hall 4 (E400/D401), has an area of 80 square meters and an open design, conceived to invite the public to discover contemporary Romanian literature and spend time in the space dedicated to Romanian culture. It is, this year again, the largest stand in the Central and Eastern European countries, becoming a landmark for professionals in the field.
Visitors will be able to discover over 100 recent titles, including 13 new translations into German, available through the bookstore organized by Diasporaciteste.eu.
The program brings together established authors and important voices of contemporary literature. Among the participants are Gabriela Adamesteanu, Robert Serban, Andras Visky, Dana Grigorcea, Jan Cornelius, as well as authors from the Republic of Moldova - Lorina Balteanu, Iulian Ciocan, Dumitru Crudu and Emilian Galaicu-Paun. The events will also be attended by guests from the academic and journalistic environment, such as historian Cosmin Popa, journalist Michael Martens, linguist Thede Kahl and writer and editor Ernest Wichner, one of the essential figures of the Romanian-German literary dialogue.
Literary translators, considered "decisive for the international circulation of Romanian literature", play a central role. Among those present are Georg Aescht, Edith Konradt, Jan Koneffke, Sabine Krause, Ingrid Baltag, Gundel Grosse, Julia Richter, Timea Tanko and Ernest Wichner.
The program also includes the launch of recent volumes published in German, signed by Dana Grigorcea, Dumitru Crudu, Iulian Ciocan, Andras Visky, Robert Serban, Emilian Galaicu-Paun, Lorina Balteanu, Gabriela Adamesteanu and Ioana Cristina Casapu.
Two recent anthologies - "The River. A Different Danube Anthology / Eine Donau-Anthologie den anderen Art", coordinated by Edith Kiraly and Olivia Spiridon and "Defense Mechanisms. 12 Ukrainian Writers at War" - will be discussed within the framework of meetings dedicated to regional literary dialogue and cultural solidarity.
In addition to the launches, the program includes debates on current topics, such as the role of literature in the Danube region, the cultural dynamics of Southeast Europe or the impact of disinformation in a geopolitical context. Among the scheduled discussions are "Fake News as a weapon. From algorithms to the front line", "The Balkans Revisited", "Common literary front: Romania - Ukraine" and "No more borders - authors from the Republic of Moldova translated into German".
This year, as part of the Romanian program in Leipzig, the Book Exchange continues, a professional initiative organized by the Ministry of Culture, which facilitates direct meetings between publishers, literary agents and professionals of the publishing industry, contributing to the promotion of Romanian titles on the international book market.
The Romanian presence in Leipzig begins on March 17, with an event organized by the Titu Maiorescu Romanian Cultural Institute in Berlin, dedicated to the authors Dumitru Crudu, Emilian Galaicu-Paun and Iulian Ciocan. On Saturday evening, poet Robert Serban and playwright Andras Visky will participate in BALKANNACHT, a public reading and live music evening with authors from several countries in the Balkan and Eastern European region.
Romania's participation in Leipzig represents "a strategic moment" in the preparation of Romania's Guest of Honor status at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2028, consolidating international publishing partnerships and the visibility of Romanian literature on the European cultural stage.
By participating in the Leipzig Book Fair, Romania reaffirms its active presence in the European literary dialogue and its contribution to the circulation of ideas, translations and cultural collaborations in the Danube and Southeastern European area.
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