From 15 to 18 October Latvia will participate with its national stand at Frankfurt Book Fair for the 18th time. Latvia’s participation at the book fair will be delivered by the Latvian Investment and Development Agency (LIAA) in cooperation with the platform Latvian Literature. During the fair there will also be a seminar where Latvian, Lithuanian and Estonian translators will share their experience of what it means to have a common border with Russia and how this has influenced recent literature of the three Baltic countries.
On 18 October at 12 noon there will be a discussion How do you translate history? Sharing the border with Russia. It is being jointly organized by the three Baltic countries and will take place in the Frankfurt Studio Pop-up, and will feature translators who translate from Latvian, Lithuanian and Estonian speaking about how the historic experiences of these countries and the theme of borders are reflected in contemporary literature. Latvia will be represented in the discussion by Nicole Nau, who has translated into German novels by Māra Zālīte (Pieci pirksti – Five Fingers), Nora Ikstena (Mātes piens – in the English translation titled Soviet Milk) and Zigmunds Skujiņš (Gulta ar zelta kāju – The Bed with the Golden Leg).
The official guest country this year is The Philippines, and during the book fair particular attention will be devoted to the book industry of this country. Already since 2021, after Latvia together with Lithuania and Estonia successfully participated as guest countries at the London Book Fair, there have been ongoing official negotiations about Latvia being a guest country at the Frankfurt Book Fair as well. Currently Latvia is hoping to be awarded this status in one of the years between 2028 and 2030, which has meant intensive work to establish cooperation with German publishers, festivals and the media.
“This year has been for us extremely prolific, both in terms of the number of translated works published as well as a wide-ranging cultural programme: we have held more than 30 events featuring Latvian authors in German-speaking countries. At the moment we can perceive enormous interest on the part of German publishers, event organisers, festivals, the media and translators, all of which is the outcome of the work we have invested so far with representatives of German language literature and publishing. It is important that when we become the guest country we should already have books in the German language, experience in creating cultural programmes, and that we should have begun to collaborate with literature festivals and the media,” the executive manager of Latvian Literature, Inga Bodnarjuka-Mrazauskas informed.
Over the last three years, 94 events featuring Latvian literature have taken place in German-speaking countries: Germany, Austria and Switzerland. 14 works by Latvian authors have been published in the German language, among them Upe and Vārnas by Laura Vinogradova, Kalendārs by Andris Kalnozols, Skaistās by Inga Gaile, Lizergīnblūzs by Vilis Kasims, Decembris by Jānis Joņevs, Ledus okeāns by Dace Vīgante, and Puika, kas redzēja tumsā by Rasa Bugavičute-Pēce.
On 16 October at 5pm there will be a reception at the Latvia stand (Hall 4.1, Stand D2), to which all cooperation partners of the exhibitors on Latvia’s stand are warmly invited. The design of the Latvia stand will continue to be in the literature export campaign #iamintrovert aesthetic, simulating the apartment of two literary characters, the writers I. and I. The illustrator for the stand is Reinis Pētersons.
This year the official exhibitors on Latvia’s stand will be the publishing houses Liels un mazs, Aminori, Zvaigzne ABC, Latvijas mediji, Jāņa Rozes apgāds, Skolas Vārds / V-Media, Madris, Pētergailis and Sapņu spalva, as well as the Latvian Publishers Association and the printing company Latgales druka.
For more information about the seminar see here.