Leipzig 2025

According to initial evaluations, Norway’s role as Guest of Honour at the Leipzig Book Fair was a major success, especially in terms of media visibility.
During the fair, more than 4,000 print articles were published, with a total advertising value equivalent of 659,290 €. The campaign achieved broad reach, not only featuring well-known authors like Karl Ove Knausgård, Maja Lunde or Vigdis Hjorth but also highlighting voices like Kjersti Anfinnsen, Wencke Mühleisen and Oliver Lovrenski, showcasing the diversity of Norwegian literature.

Norway’s Guest of Honour appearance at the Leipzig Book Fair 2025 has come to an end – and it was a resounding success!
Over the course of four days, around 50 Norwegian authors were presented in approximately 80 events in Leipzig. The two main venues for the Norwegian program – the Norwegian stand at the fair and the prestigious Schaubühne Lindenfels – were packed to the brim every single day.

On Sunday March, 30th, the last day of the Leipziger Bucmhesse, a large crowd of knowledge-hungry visitors braved the rain and lined up outside as the doors of Schaubühne Lindenfels, the Norwegian Hub during the book fair, opened. In fact, attendance was so high that the event had to be moved from the small 60-seat hall to the main auditorium—even though not all of the books that were presented are yet available in German.

From March 27 to 30, 2025, Norway was the Guest of Honour at Leipziger Buchmesse, the largest public book fair in Germany.
During the fair, around 50 Norwegian authors took the stage at Leipziger Messe and throughout the city of Leipzig, offering a diverse program with over 80 events. The program included literature for both adults and children, spanning all genres.

Events featuring Norwegian authors were mainly be held at the book fair during the day and at the renowned Schaubühne Lindenfels in the evenings. Norwegian programming also took place at various venues across Leipzig, including Theater der jungen Welt, Werk II, Grieg Begegnungsstätte, Haus des Buches, bookstores, and local schools.

We are happy to introduce our brand new Guest of Honour podcast: “Der Büchersnakk”!
Please join us to learn more about Norwegian releases in German. There are in total five episodes to look forward to, one every Thursday up until the book fair. The podcast is made by Anja Höfer in cooperation with Thomas Böhm.
Listen to Büchersnakk on Spotify.

The German language market is the most important for Norwegian literature exports. Being the Guest of Honour at the Leipzig Book Fair offers books and authors from Norway a unique opportunity to reach German readers. Leipziger Buchmesse attracts nearly 300,000 visitors annually and is the key meeting place for the German book industry in spring. The event is covered by over 3,500 journalists and bloggers.

We are thrilled to launch the project Du hast eine neue Freundschaftsanfrage! (You Have a New Friend Request!), which is part of the Norwegian Guest of Honour initiative.
Starting in the early autumn of 2024, Norwegian authors Peter F. Strassegger, Helene Imislund, and Kristin Vego exchanged letters with their German colleagues Matthias Jügler, Janin Wölke, and Kristina Schilke.

The planning for Norway as Guest of Honour in Leipzig was well underway all through 2024. At the 2024 book fair, several Norwegian authors met their German readers. And one of the highlights of the autumn 2024, was when authors from both languages met each other under the headline “On the Way to Leipzig”, in Stavanger.