Major success at 28th Budapest International Book Festival – Photos

The Association of Hungarian Publishers and Book Distributors (MKKE) organised the 28th Budapest International Book Festival between 28 September and 1 October 2023 at the Millenáris. The Book Festival is the most important event in the international book world and the region’s leading professional and cultural forum.

The four-day event featured 140 exhibitors, over 40 foreign authors, 180 programmes and more than 200 book signings on Millenáris Park, in Buildings B (Great Hall) and D (Glass Hall), at the Europa-Point and in the National Dance Theatre.

A special children’s section, Children’s literature, promoted children’s books and reading, and offered a colourful programme for families in Millenáris D.

The Budapest International Book Festival traditionally hosts the world’s most prestigious writers and poets. This year’s guest of honour was the popular American science fiction writer John Scalzi, who received the Budapest Grand Prize from the Mayor of Budapest.

This year’s Guest of Honour was the Netherlands. In recent years, the number of Dutch books published in Hungarian translation has been exceptionally high, even in Central Europe. The slogan of the Dutch pavilion reflected this: “on the sea of books”.

Visitors to the Book Festival were able to meet dozens of prominent Dutch writers, poets and illustrators, including Arnon Grunberg, author and journalist of The Man Without a Disease, Abram de Swaan, essayist and sociologist, Martin Michael Driessen, writer, theatre and opera director, and Annemarie Bon, popular youth author. The Guest of Honour stand featured a succession of round tables, thematic discussions and readings.

The Book Festival was opened by Ildikó Boldizsár, József Attila Prize-winning author, storyteller, folklorist and story therapist, who celebrates her 60th birthday this year. Speeches were given by Désirée Bonis, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Budapest, and Arnon Grunberg, Guest of Honour of the Netherlands.

Désirée Bonis, Ambassador of the Netherlands to Budapest. Photo: MTI

Désirée Bonis, Ambassador of the Netherlands to Budapest, said in her welcome speech that the popularity of the Book Festival, which is now in its twenty-eighth year, shows that Hungarians are a book-loving people.

It is an honour to have the Netherlands as our guest of honour this year, she said, adding that after more than a year of preparation, the cream of Dutch literature would be present at the Book Festival in the coming days.

“A number of Dutch authors would take part in talks, book signings and other events, and the Dutch stand at the festival would feature both Dutch books in Hungarian and Hungarian writings in Dutch,” said Desirée Bonis.

Dutch writer Arnon Grunberg recalled the totalitarian dictatorships that plagued Europe, adding that we are now “living in an age of rationality and reason”. But people still want to follow ideologies while they also want justice, even though the two can easily conflict, he warned.

The international character of the book festival was reinforced by the book stalls on each floor, each themed by a country.

The Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Hungary had a large stand for those interested in the country and Arab culture. On offer were several Saudi fairy tales for children, translated into Hungarian, so that visitors could learn about a Saudi story, while adults could learn about the futuristic minds of Vision 2030 in smaller publications.

Türkiye was represented by the Yunus Emre Institute in Budapest, while Romania, Palestine and the Polish Institute representing Poland were also present. German and Russian literature was also on display.