World's largest book fair increases share of Russian publications represented
One of Russia's largest publishing houses, Exmo, which had previously been sanctioned in Ukraine, has been allowed to present their stand at the International Frankfurt Book Fair (FBF).
"For two years in a row, the administration of the world's largest trade fair has refused to allow publishers from Russia to participate. The President of the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution [Thomas Heldenwang – ed.] pointed to the "influence operations" of the Russian special services, which spread Russian disinformation and propaganda in Germany. It is weird to see a stand from the aggressor country saying that "not everything is so clear"," Kruhlov wrote.
The Ukrainian Book Institute confirmed to UP.Kultura that five Russian publishing houses are taking part in the world's most prestigious book fair in Frankfurt this year.
The Ukrainian Book Institute has already sent a letter to the director of the Frankfurt Book Fair, Juergen Boos, explaining the danger of increasing the participation of Russian publishing houses in such an influential international event.
The head of the Institute, Oleksandra Koval, said that she found out about Exmo's participation last night, on 15 October.
However, she says that there will be no official Russian book stand in Frankfurt: "The event organisers of this and several other fairs are sticking to their own decision not to allow the Russian stand to participate. But individual stands of Russian publishing houses are present everywhere. However, last year there were three Russian stands at FBF, including the Memorial stand, and it didn't seem to pose a threat. This year there are already five of them. And among them is the stand of the largest Russian publishing house, Exmo, which is notorious for publishing anti-Ukrainian content, which is why the publishing house was under sanctions in Ukraine for several years."
Koval does not know why the National Security and Defence Council of Ukraine did not extend the sanctions against the Russian publishing house Exmo. ‘If they had, it would have been a strong argument in negotiations with the organisers of international fairs to prevent such publishing houses from participating,’ says the director of the Ukrainian Book Institute.
Koval says the Ukrainian Book Institute will continue to participate in the world's most important book fairs. "The appearance of the Russians seems to be legitimised, because, as they say, war is war, and money doesn't smell. There are probably many publishers who would like to return to the vast Russian market," says Koval.
"We have to unite even more and keep explaining to "naive" foreigners that every licence sold to the Russians to publish a translation of their books is a missile that kills civilians, and every Russian book they buy is a time bomb. Because now they are in Ukraine, and tomorrow they will be in Europe. The poison of their ideology has long since spread around the world, and only together can we stop and neutralise it.
More about the Frankfurt Book Fair
The Frankfurt Book Fair is the largest book fair in the world. It has become a platform for writers and publishing houses to promote international collaborations, inform about global publishing trends and refine their own ideas.
The slogan of this year's event is Read. Reflect. Relate. The focus theme of the Ukrainian stands is Reclaiming the voice.
Ukraine will be represented by the national stand of the Book Institute, as well as the stand of the Mystetskyi Arsenal, UA Comix, and a separate stand will be set up for the publisher Oleksandr Savchuk as the winner of the Chitomo Prize.
The organisers have prepared a programme of discussions, presentations and public interviews for the Frankfurt Book Forum. The participants will talk about literature during the war, about deceased writers, and about Ukrainian poetry.
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