German-language literature will be the Guest of Honour at Foire du Livre in Brussels, which takes place from 13 to 16 March 2025. The Guest of Honour will invite the book fair visitors to take a voyage of discovery through the German-speaking literary landscape, under the motto “Wanderlust: Voyager à travers la littérature de langue allemande”. The presentation at the fair is being organised by Frankfurter Buchmesse with financial support from the German Federal Foreign Office, in cooperation with partner organisations from six countries.
Foire du Livre de Bruxelles has been celebrating books in the heart of the city of Brussels since 1969. As a cultural institution, the French-language fair remains the most important meeting place for the publishing world in Belgium. Between 75,000 and 80,000 people recently attended the fair, including 1,200 authors, 2,500 publishing professionals and 6,000 school students.
A total of 17 German-speaking authors, illustrators and spoken word artists from Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and Austria will travel to Brussels as part of the Wanderlust programme, coming into contact there with Belgian literature fans. Among those in attendance will be prize-winning authors, illustrators, and creators of comics and graphic novels, such as Bernhard Schlink, Nino Haratischwili, Daniel Kehlmann, Lukas Bärfuss, Antje Rávik Strubel, Ulli Lust, Mikael Ross, War and Peas, and many more. They will appear at over 20 events together with their French-speaking counterparts, such as Vanessa Springora, Antoine Wauters, Alex Garin, Josée Kamoun and Marc Dubuisson. For more on the programme visit this link.
Trade events dedicated to the topics of translation and literary adaptations for films and series will complete the extensive programme. The Book-to-Screen programme on Friday, 14 March 2025, organised by Frankfurter Buchmesse in cooperation with SACD, Bela, bureau Europe Créative de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles and play.brussels, will invite players from the book and film industries to participate in an exchange of ideas and experiences.
The 100-sqm German collective stand in the Gare Maritime (stand no. 125) on the Brussels fairgrounds will feature German-language book collections, including comics and graphic novels, the longlist for the German Book Prize and works by author Thomas Mann. Some 50 German-language publishers specialising in fiction, media for children and young adults, and comics and graphic novels will be represented at the stand, which will be opened at 8:00 pm on Wednesday evening, 12 March 2025, with a performance by spoken word artist Jessy James LaFleur.
“Under the motto ‘Wanderlust’, the Guest of Honour programme in the ‘Capital of Europe’ will invite visitors to discover German-language literature in all its facets,” says Juergen Boos, Director of Frankfurter Buchmesse.
“Numerous organisations from six countries will be participating, making this a truly European project. I am particularly pleased that so many renowned authors, illustrators and artists will travel to Brussels to engage in a direct exchange during their events with their Belgian colleagues, culture fans and international visitors.”
Juergen Boos, Director of Frankfurter Buchmesse.
Participating German-speaking authors:
Nino Haratischwili, Daniel Kehlmann, Bernhard Schlink, Lukas Bärfuss, Antje Rávik Strubel, Reinhard Kaiser-Mühlecker, Jakob Springfeld
Participating illustrators and spoken word artists:
Jörg Mühle, Adam Vogt, Anna Sommer, Jessy James LaFleur
Participating creators of comics and graphic novels:
Ulli Lust, Mikael Ross, Lucien Czuga, Anja Wicki, War and Peas, Gin Zarbo
Speakers at the trade programme:
Translator and author Stephanie Lux, Mac Hawkins, founder of IP and literary scouting consultancy Pragmatic Pictures
French-speaking authors and illustrators: Vanessa Springora, Antoine Wauters, Alix Garin, Philippe Collin, Josée Kamoun, Marc Dubuisson, Mathilde van Gheluwe, Jacques Steiwer, Gilles Doneux, Salva Di Bennardo, among others
Organisers of the Guest of Honour presentation:
The Guest of Honour’s appearance at the fair is being organised by Frankfurter Buchmesse with financial support from the German Federal Foreign Office, together with the Brussels Book Fair (Foire du Livre de Bruxelles), the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Brussels, the Austrian Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, the Austrian Cultural Forum Brussels, Goethe-Institut Brussels and its Europanetzwerk Deutsch programme, the Swiss arts council Pro Helvetia, the Brussels representative of Belgium’s German-speaking community, the Liechtensteiner Cultural Foundation, the Liechtensteiner Ministry of Social Affairs and Culture, the Embassy of Liechtenstein in Brussels, and Kultur | lx – Arts Council Luxembourg.
Visit the fair from 13 to 16 March and learn more on the website of the Brussels book fair 2025.
For more events this month, check our Best of Brussels in March agenda.
