Romania to be Guest of Honour at Frankfurter Buchmesse 2028
Official agreement signed today in Bucharest
Bucharest/Frankfurt, 20 February 2026 – The Guest of Honour of Frankfurter Buchmesse 2028 has been decided: Romania will present its literature and culture as the guest country of the 80th book fair (11-15 October 2028). Today, Romania’s Minister of Culture András Demeter and Frankfurter Buchmesse’s Director Juergen Boos signed the official Guest of Honour agreement in Bucharest.
Juergen Boos, Director of Frankfurter Buchmesse, said: “I am very excited that Romania will be Guest of Honour at the 2028 book fair. Romanian literature has long been present in Europe thanks to its strong contemporary literary voices. Authors such as Mircea Cărtărescu and Gabriela Adameșteanu are being read worldwide and their works have been translated into numerous languages. Their books tell of a country that has undergone political upheaval, censorship and new beginnings. We are looking forward to seeing the diversity of the country’s multilingual literary landscape in Frankfurt.”
András Demeter, Romania’s Minister of Culture, said: “By signing this contract, a key moment was reached and the presence of the Romanian literature on the international cultural stage was recognized. The designation of our country as Guest of Honour at Frankfurter Buchmesse 2028 certifies a cognizance of the values of our culture, but it also implies a significant responsibility. We intend to approach this participation with care, professionalism and long-term vision, revealing the depth and vitality of Romania’s cultural landscape today.”
In addition to presenting Romanian literature in Frankfurt, it is being planned that further cultural sectors, such as film for instance, will be highlighted as part of the Guest of Honour presentation in 2028.
About Frankfurter Buchmesse’s Guest of Honour programme
Since 1976 Frankfurter Buchmesse has hosted Guest of Honour presentations. Initially, they took place every two years and alternated with thematic focuses. Since 1988, a different country or region has presented its literature and culture in Frankfurt each year. For the Guest of Honour the presentation is important on two levels: In addition to the great attention paid to its literature and culture, which are presented in exhibitions and a wide-ranging programme of cultural events, its publishing and creative industries have the opportunity to present themselves to an international audience at the world’s largest book fair.
An important aim of the Guest of Honour programme is to increase the number of translations from the guest country into German and other languages. The great public interest shown in the Guest of Honour at the book fair is also an incentive for publishers worldwide to publish titles from the respective guest country. In this way, Frankfurter Buchmesse’s Guest of Honour programme promotes the international trade in licenses and the international transfer of literature.
The Guest of Honour of the upcoming Frankfurter Buchmesse (7-11 October 2026) is Czechia, followed by Chile in 2027. The spectrum of previous guests ranges from regions and countries such as New Zealand, Flanders and the Netherlands, Norway, Lithuania, India and the Philippines.
More information about the Guest of Honour programme: https://www.buchmesse.de/en/highlights/guest-honour(opens in a new window)