Mauro Mazza, Extraordinary Commissioner of the government for the coordination of activities related to Italy’s participation in the Buchmesse 2024, has declared that Italy will bring a choral, plural, and rich cultural representation to the 76th Frankfurt Book Fair. The event is a significant opportunity for Italian culture to demonstrate its capacity for dialogue and the richness of its ideas. Around a hundred Italian authors will attend the German event, participating in 150 events.
Mazza emphasized the significance of Italy’s guest of honor status at the Frankfurt Book Fair, a title it last held in 1988. He expressed anticipation for a beautiful and important adventure and highlighted the vibrancy of the Italian publishing world. The event is a chance to showcase the strength of Italian literature and extend its influence abroad, particularly in the German-speaking market.
The inaugural day is on October 15th, with Italy taking center stage. Three authors, Carlo Rovelli, Susanna Tamaro, and Stefano Zecchi, will participate in the event, along with pianist and singer Frida Bollani Mogani. The Italian Pavilion, designed by Stefano Boeri as an “Eternal Square”, will be inaugurated in the presence of Commissioner Mauro Mazza and the Minister of Culture, Gennaro Sanguliano.
Mazza affirmed that the ‘philosophy’ supporting Italian participation is not about convincing or converting others, but fostering understanding, dialogue, and personal interactions between writers and readers.
During the conference in Testo, a poster by Lorenzo Mattotti was unveiled. This poster, which depicts a young reader seated on a calla lily, will represent Italy as a guest of honor. The complete program for Italy’s participation in Buchmesse will be announced in a press conference in Frankfurt at the end of May.
Innocenzo Cipolletta, president of the Italian Publishers Association, highlighted the fruitful collaboration with Mazza and the publishing houses, and the high level of publisher involvement, guaranteeing the presence of various authors and personalities at the Buchmesse.
The 2024 guest of honor country’s journey towards the 76th edition of the Buchmesse will continue with initiatives called “Destination Frankfurt”. These events will be accompanied by Mattotti’s poster, visually expressing the concept of “Roots in the future”.
Several speakers participated in the conference at Stazione Leopolda, including Annalena Benini, director of the Turin International Book Fair, and Juergen Boos, president and CEO of Buchmesse, who sent a video greeting. The conference emphasized the importance of reaching out to young readers and expanding the book market.
Cipolletta noted that the pandemic has reignited the pleasure of reading, and there is still plenty of room to expand the book market in Italy. Adriano Monti Buzzetti spoke about the importance of support for small and medium-sized publishing companies and strengthening the translations of Italian works abroad.
