Project "Slovenia, Guest of Honour at International Book Fair in Frankfurt 2023 - a model for sustainable international promotion of Slovenian literary creativity" is co-financed by the Republic of Slovenia and the European Union under the European Regional Development Fund.

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"One of the principal aims of the National Programme for Culture 2014–2017 in the field of books is the project Slovenia – Guest of Honour at Frankfurter Buchmesse."

The presentation of the Republic of Slovenia as the main guest at the most important international book fair is significant both from the point of view of long-term visibility and positioning of Slovenian authors and Slovenian creativity in the field of books in German-speaking countries as well as from the point of view of a greater recognition of Slovenian creativity and cultural and economic potential. A successful performance of countries as main guests at Frankfurter Buchmesse substantially increases the number of published publications of showcased authors in German-speaking countries and other book markets. At the same time, the performance enhances the cultural and tourist potential of the country and contributes to economic growth and the development of cultural and service activities and creates new employment opportunities. By 2023, 34 countries and regions had been presented as Guest of Honour, the most recent one being in Spain.

As a result of the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, all previously agreed Guest of Honour events at the Frankfurt Buchmesse were postponed by one year in July 2020: from 2022 to 2023. 

Project Aims

Project "Slovenia, Guest of Honour at the International Book Fair in Frankfurt 2023 - a model for sustainable international promotion of Slovenian literary creativity" is co-financed by the Republic of Slovenia and the European Union under the European Regional Development Fund.

For the Guest of Honour such a presentation has a double meaning: it places the literature and culture of their country in the centre of visitor and media attention at the largest book fair in the world and affects its book industry and international efficiency.

The aims of the Guest of Honour programme are to support the publishing industry and cultural institutions of the selected country in order to integrate them internationally and thus increase visibility of its literature and the number of translations from its language. From the point of view of the book industry the programme leads to an increased trading of copyright and helps publishers develop international contacts even after the end of the fair and the country's role as Guest of Honour. The entire book industry benefits from the additional attention the showcased authors receive due to the increased promotion and presence of publishers at the world's largest book fair. The Guest of Honour programme enables the media and the general public to become familiar with the literature and culture of the presented country and fosters interest for its social environment. The general cultural programme accompanying the Guest of Honour programme helps create lasting international cultural relationships (cultural exchanges and dialogue) and increases tourist activity.

Thus the project is conceived in a way to connect the cultural, economic (publishing houses, printing houses, the design sector in connection with businesses and the film industry) and tourist sectors. The optimal envisioned aims are: an increased trading of copyright, an enhanced visibility of Slovenian culture abroad (visual arts, film, etc.), the recognition of the Republic of Slovenia as a tourist destination, the cooperation of printing companies, an increased trading of Slovenian design products, an increased number of translations of Slovenian literature, etc. As of 2013, 582 works by Slovenian authors were translated into German, 304 into English, and by the time of Slovenia's appearance as the Guest of Honour the number of translations of Slovenian authors into German and English is expected to increase by 30 percent annually and increase even further after the presentation. The aim of the presentation is also an increased number of works by Slovenian authors published with prominent publishing houses in the German-speaking area.