Norway is Guest of Honour at the Leipzig Book Fair in March 2025
Norway will be Guest of Honour at the Leipzig Book Fair in 2025, which is to take place March 27-30. The German market is one of the most important for Norwegian literary exports, and the Guest of Honour status in Leipzig gives Norwegian books and Norwegian authors a unique opportunity to reach German readers.
NORLA is in charge of the Guest of Honour venture and will invite approximately thirty authors and illustrators to participate in next year’s fair. Karl Ove Knausgård, Maria Parr, Lars Mytting, Nina Lykke, Matias Faldbakken, Ingeborg Arvola and Erling Kagge have already confirmed their attendance.
The Leipzig Book Fair is spring’s most important gathering in the German book industry, attracting nearly 300,000 visitors annually, from the public as well as the German and international book industry. The fair is covered by over 3,500 journalists and bloggers. The fair dates coincide with Leipzig Liest (Leipzig Reads) which is Europe’s largest reading festival. Over the course of four days, 3,000 events are held with 3,200 authors at 350 different venues on the fairgrounds and throughout the city of Leipzig.
“As Guest of Honour at the Leipzig Book Fair, NORLA has the opportunity of introducing Norwegian literature and illustration art to German readers. Our wish is to contribute to reading enjoyment, engagement and exchange of opinions. The 2025 program will offer a broad range of titles to readers of all ages, in which conversations about books will be the core theme.” says NORLA’s Director Margit Walsø.
Norwegian children’s literature is known for being daring, innovative and of high quality. In addition to the Guest of Honour pavilion, NORLA will also have a special stand in the fair venue for children’s and young adult literature. This focus reflects NORLA’s significant and long-term commitment to quality books for children, which is particularly evident through NORLA’s Guest of Honour projects, most recently at the Cairo Book Fair. The initiative in Leipzig will continue towards 2026, when Norway will be Guest of Honour at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, the world’s largest book fair for children’s literature.
Norwegian authors participating at the 2024 Leipzig Book Fair:
