After a three-year absence, Leipziger Buchmesse, the second largest book fair in Germany, reopened its doors from April 27 - 30 2023. It brought together 2,082 exhibitors and publishers from 40 countries and more than 3,200 participants from all over the world. The traditional Leipzig Liest (Leipzig Reads) reading festival took place alongside the fair. 274,000 literature lovers attended the various events at the fair grounds and thousands of other visitors.

Among the exhibitors was Slovenian Book Agency (JAK) at its stand promoted the latest works by Slovenian authors and their translations, especially into German. It was not only the stand that was buzzing, the accompanying events with Slovenian authors were also extremely well attended, both those organised by Slovenian Book Agency in cooperation with SKICA Berlin, TRADUKI network, Leipziger Buchmesse, and national and international publishers as well as events held independently of the Slovenian Book Agency, for example in the programme of Austria, the main guest of the bookfair. The comprehensive programe offered an excellent preview of the events taking place throughout Germany this year, which will culminate in October 2023 at Frankfurter Buchmesse. The literary fair programe featured more than 30 Slovenian authors, translators, illustrators and editors at 26 events. Esad Babačić, Andrej Blatnik, Miljana Cunta, Stanka Hrastelj, Manica K. Musil, Boris Kolar, Jela Krečič, Cvetka Lipuš, Ana Marwan, Jernej Mlekuž, Gregor Podlogar, Uroš Prah, Anja Štefan, Agata Tomažič, Anja Zag Golob and Slavoj Žižek, while special attention was also paid to Slavko Grum, Alma M. Karlin, Srečko Kosovel and Tomaž Šalamun. Samira Kentrić was one of the illustrators featured in the programme, and her exhibition Torn from Concept, organised by SKICA Berlin in cooperation with Slovenian Book Agency, opened on  May 10 2023 at Literaturhaus Leipzig/Haus des Buches.

The Slovenian programme opened in the days before the fair with a poetry and music event to mark the end of the project of three poetry vending machines in Leipzig. Slovenian poets Miljana Cunta, Stanka Hrastelj and Gregor Podlogar presented their work alongside poets from Austria and Leipzig at a reading in the Leipzig Literary House. The evening was moderated by Matthias Göritz, the mastermind behind the Poetry Vending Machine project and co-curator of Slovenia's Guest of Honour in Frankfurt. A special issue of Graz-based literary magazine manuskripte, dedicated to the project and presented by editor Andreas Unterweger, was also published on the occasion.

Several events were also dedicated to Slovenian poetry during the fair, ranging from classics to contemporary poetry and punk. Slovenian poet Anja Zag Golob performed at the traditional Balkan Night, organised by Traduki network, and received a strong applause from the crowd of several hundreds.

Among Slovenian events, the most interesting was, as expected, the conversation with Slavoj Žižek and his wife Jela Krečič, who discussed philosophy in pop culture in front of a packed hall. The interest was so great that one of Germany's oldest cinemas was unable to accommodate all the audience, with a queue of several hundred metres at its entrance.

A Press Conference was also held at the bookfair, which attracted a large number of journalists and other interested members of the public, in spite of the lively eventfulness of the fair. In addition to the Director of Slovenian Book Agency Katja Stergar, the curators Matthias Göritz and Miha Kovač with programme advisor Amalia Maček, Director of Frankfurter Buchmesse, Jüergen Boos, also took part in the conference. They presented the literary programe of Leipzigiger Buchmesse and announced a number of other activities related to Slovenia being a Guest of Honour at Frankfurter Buchmesse 2023. The Press Conference was followed by a reception at Slovenian national stand, hosted by Slovenian Ambassador in Berlin, Ana Polak Petrič, and Head of the SKICA Berlin Cultural Centre, Saša Šavel Burkart.

The well-attended events show that there is a great deal of interest in both Slovenia and Slovenian authors in Germany. Or as Katja Stergar, Director of Slovenian Book Agency, pointed out at the Press Conferenthe ce: 'When we were appointed Guest of Honour at Frankfurter Buchmesse, we made a commitment to represent Slovenia as well as we can', she said. 'Our literature, our authors, our beautiful illustrations, to introduce you to our stories, to take you into our worlds, to show you our beautiful nature, to give you a taste of Slovenian food and wine. And what better way to do that than with books?"

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Nach dreijähriger Pause öffnet die Leipziger Buchmesse, die zweitgrößte Buchmesse in Deutschland, vom 27. bis 30. April 2023 wieder ihre Tore.

Frankfurter Buchesse brachte 2.082 Aussteller und Verlage aus 40 Ländern und mehr als 3.200 Teilnehmer aus aller Welt zusammen. Gleichzeitig mit der Messe fand das traditionelle Lesefest Leipzig Liest statt. Zu den verschiedenen Veranstaltungen auf dem Messegelände kamen 274 000 Literaturliebhaber, die Zahl der Besucher bei den Veranstaltungen in den städtischen Einrichtungen ist nicht zu zählen.

Zu den Ausstellern gehörte auch die Slowenische Buchagentur (JAK), die an ihrem Stand die neuesten Werke slowenischer Autoren und deren Übersetzungen, insbesondere ins Deutsche, vorstellte.

Nicht nur der Stand der Slowenischen Buchagentur war sehr gut besucht; auch die begleitenden Veranstaltungen mit slowenischen Autoren, sowohl die von der Slowenischen Buchagentur in Zusammenarbeit mit SKICA Berlin, dem TRADUKI-Netzwerk, der Leipziger Buchmesse und nationalen und internationalen Verlagen organisierten als auch die unabhängig von der Slowenischen Buchagentur durchgeführten, wie das Programm des Hauptgastes Österreich, waren gut besucht.

Das vielfältige Programm bot einen hervorragenden Vorgeschmack auf die Veranstaltungen, die in diesem Jahr in ganz Deutschland stattfinden und im Oktober auf der Frankfurter Buchmesse ihren Höhepunkt finden werden.

Im Programm der Literaturmesse präsentierten sich mehr als 30 slowenische Autoren, Übersetzer, Illustratoren und Lektoren in 26 Veranstaltungen. Esad Babačić, Andrej Blatnik, Miljana Cunta, Stanka Hrastelj, Manica K. Musil, Boris Kolar, Jela Krečič, Cvetka Lipuš, Ana Marwan, Jernej Mlekuž, Gregor Podlogar, Uroš Prah, Anja Štefan, Agata Tomažič, Anja Zag Golob und Slavoj Žižek, während besondere Aufmerksamkeit auch Slavko Grum, Alma M. Karlin, Srečko Kosovel und Tomaž Šalamun galt.

Samira Kentrič war eine der im Programm vorgestellten Illustratorinnen. Ihre Ausstellung Torn from Concept, organisiert von SKICA Berlin in Zusammenarbeit mit dem JAK, wird am 10. Mai im Literaturhaus Leipzig/Haus des Buches eröffnet.

Samira Kentrić war eine der im Programm vorgestellten Illustratorinnen. Ihre von SKICA Berlin in Zusammenarbeit mit der Slowenische Buchagentur organisierte Ausstellung »Torn from Concept« wird am 10. Mai im Literaturhaus Leipzig/Haus des Buches eröffnet.

Das slowenische Programm wurde in den Tagen vor der Messe mit einer Poesie und Musikveranstaltung eröffnet, die das Ende des Projekts der drei Poesieautomaten in Leipzig markierte.

Bei einer Lesung im Leipziger Literaturhaus stellten die slowenischen Dichter Miljana Cunta, Stanka Hrastelj und Gregor Podlogar ihre Werke neben Dichtern aus Österreich und Leipzig vor.

Foto: JAK RS

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