There will likely be a ceremony within the Gewandhaus on Wednesday night (beginning at 7 p.m.). Leipzig Book Fair Grand opening in 2026. The Croatian-Bosnian author Miljenko Jergović will likely be awarded the Leipzig Book Prize for European Understanding. The prize is endowed with 20,000 euros.
Before the ceremony begins, there will likely be a protest demonstration in entrance of the Gewandhaus. It is directed in opposition to the Minister of State for Culture below the motto “Against censorship and authoritarianism”. Wolfram Weimer (non-partisan). He has just lately come below criticism a number of instances.
First, Weimer had three left-wing bookstores faraway from the nomination record for the German Bookstore Prize due to “findings relevant to the protection of the constitution.” Then he fully canceled the award ceremony deliberate on the commerce honest. Finally it grew to become identified that he was in opposition to a long-planned enlargement of the German National Library Leipzig has determined. Weimer may even maintain a number of appointments as a part of the e-book honest on Thursday.
Weimer will give a speech on the opening ceremony. He canceled a tour of the e-book honest deliberate for Thursday afternoon due to a Bundestag debate in Berlin. However, later within the night he plans to participate in a panel dialogue on freedom of expression on the National Library.
An uncommon occasion as a part of the e-book honest additionally begins on Wednesday night: from 6 p.m., the novel “Unterleuten” by Juli Zeh will likely be learn continuous in an 18-hour studying marathon. The writer begins, then dozens of readers take turns studying each quarter of an hour till 11 a.m. the following morning.
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https://www.zeit.de/news/2026-03/18/leipziger-buchmesse-wird-eroeffnet-proteste-angekuendigt