The Leipzig Book Fair opened to the public on Thursday. By Sunday, 2,044 exhibitors from 54 countries will showcase their works, up from 2,040 exhibitors from 45 countries in 2025.
“At this event, the significance of the German‑speaking book market is clearly demonstrated. This year more countries than ever have brought their literature to Leipzig” said Astrid Böhmisch, director of the fair, at the opening. “The Leipzig Book Fair is the place where stories connect us”.
The focus theme for this year is “Danube – Under Power and Between Worlds” centering on literature from the Danube region. Organizers anticipate roughly 300,000 visitors.
The fair had already been formally inaugurated the previous evening with a ceremony at Leipzig’s Gewandhaus. Cultural minister Wolfram Weimer was in attendance but was met with protests; his presence was partially booed in the hall. The unrest stems from his controversial decision to remove three left‑leaning bookstores from the Deutsche Buchhandlungspreis, as well as the dispute over the expansion of the German National Library in Leipzig.
