Frankfurt examines the polarized era

An all-seeing eye that blinks constantly. It's hard to enter the Philippine pavilion at the Frankfurt Book Fair, the world's largest, and not come across this projection. The guest country of honor at this 77th edition, which closes tomorrow, knows the world is watching and that this is its great opportunity to showcase its literature, generally underexplored in the West, which addresses issues such as climate change, the colonial past, and censorship.

A total of one hundred writers and artists have traveled to the German city these days to tell stories from the 7,641 islands that make up this Southeast Asian republic, where no fewer than 135 languages ​​are spoken. This delegation also included names like journalist and Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Ressa, who took advantage of an event yesterday with former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg to denounce the constant struggle for freedom of expression, which "is not only happening in the Philippines. Democracies are dying before our eyes because of the immoral violence of those in power. And I can think of a few examples, not only in Asia, but in the West."

Democracies are dying before our eyes because of the immoral violence of those in power.” Maria Ressa Nobel Peace Prize

German writer Nora Haddada, who replaced László Krasznahorkai, this year's Nobel Prize winner for Literature, in the fair's opening speech after he fell ill, also expressed concern about the rise of authoritarianism. "Including in Germany, where we have seen a psychotic discourse that attempts to cover up Israel's actions. Of course, there were different voices that joined the debate, but I want to focus on the silence, because that is what dominated."

Indeed, if books want anything, it's to "encourage conversation on any topic, no matter how uncomfortable it may be," Mahmoud Muna, known to many as the Jerusalem bookseller after being arrested last February for offering space in his premises to Palestinian voices, something that isn't always easy in times of war, reflects to La Vanguardia .

Muna is one of the invited voices to reflect on the conflicts taking place around the world. If there's one thing this fair is known for, beyond the buying and selling of books, it's for being a thermometer for ideas and a loudspeaker for all kinds of injustices. However, the Buchmesse is still suffering from harsh criticism from 2023, as part of the sector felt that Palestinian voices were being silenced by actions such as the cancellation of the LiBeraturpreis award ceremony, which Palestinian writer Adania Shibli was supposed to collect.

In 2024, the publishing house took note and offered multiple lectures addressing the genocide in Gaza, although this proved to be insufficient, as numerous activists called for a boycott after it was announced that the German Book Trade Peace Prize would go to historian Anne Applebaum, who publicly supported the Israeli bombing of Palestinian radio and television stations, although she later backed down.

This year, however, the award goes to German historian Karl Schlögel, who for years has been bringing the different realities of Eastern Europe closer to the general public, as he does in his latest book, The Scent of Empires (Acantilado), where he traces the past through two iconic perfumes: Chanel No. 5 and Moscow Red, symbols of worlds in conflict. In an interview at the Frankfurter Hof Hotel, where the fair's conversations between agents and editors usually continue in a more relaxed manner, Schlögel explains to La Vanguardia that he welcomes the increasing number of acts critical of the Gaza war, "because of course they must be denounced and deserve that and much more attention," but admits to the fear that other conflicts, such as those in Sudan, Afghanistan, or Ukraine, will be sidelined.

Writer Andrei Kurkov shares a similar opinion and tells this newspaper he is grateful, as "the Ukrainian stand, my country, is increasingly filled with more voices, but we all need to shout louder." This is a step that is also expected of future generations. So much so that the central theme of the Kids Conference, which grows stronger each year, is "children's books in a fragile world." Illustrator Axel Scheffler, behind the children's classic The Gruffalo , argued that "reaching out to future generations of readers is more important than ever."

Beyond politics, two other key points stand out from the fair. First, the exponential growth of spaces dedicated to audio, film, and video games. And second, the sector's concern about artificial intelligence, judging by the number of presentations. Karin Schmidt-Friderichs, president of the German Association of Publishers and Booksellers, warned the press that "the greatest challenge facing the sector today and in the near future lies in how we address this issue. The pillars of a democratic society must be protected in this technological age, or we will pay dearly."

The keys

1. The Philippines is the guest country of the 77th edition. 2. 4,000 publishing houses from around the world are taking advantage of this event to present their new releases. 3. More than 1,000 authors will participate in the various activities of the Buchmesse . 4. Karl Schlögel receives this year's Peace Prize from the German Book Trade, one of the most prestigious in the country. 5. More than 4,000 exhibitors will be spread throughout the exhibition grounds. 6. More than 200,000 visitors are expected to visit the fair by Sunday. Last year, the number reached 230,000. 7. More than 90 countries are present at the fair in 2025.