Katja Stergar

Katja Stergar, Director of the Slovenian Book Agency (JAK), responsible for Slovenia's Guest of Honour appearance at Frankfurter Buchmesse 2023

Fifteen years ago, when I visited Frankfurter Buchmesse for the first time, I realised that for me the book fair was like a giant sweet shop. Everywhere I looked, there were treats, something I wanted to try and get to know better. But to be completely honest, books are similar to sweets, too much at once can give you a stomachache. And whenever this feeling of faint-heartedness overcame me, it was time for me to visit the host country pavilion. A surprise awaited me there every year, never just another box of chocolates and caramels. Now I can prepare and serve up such a surprise for other people is perhaps the best thing about being Guest of Honour. To be able to offer you all the flavours of Slovenian stories, the taste of honey and salt, and the smell of rosemary, I still can hardly believe. And so I hope that you will also come and taste some of these treasures.