Czech Republic named Guest of Honour for Frankfurt Book Fair 2026

The Czech Republic has been selected as the Guest of Honour for the 78th Frankfurt Book Fair in 2026, according to an official announcement made during a ceremony Monday in Prague.

“The Czech Republic’s appearance at the fair is a major opportunity for the Czech book industry and the country’s entire cultural sector. It’s not only a chance to present the high quality of Czech literature to the world, but also an investment in the future,” said Czech Minister of Culture Martin Baxa.

Frankfurter Buchmesse Director Juergen Boos expressed his enthusiasm for the country’s chosen motto for the fair, “Czechia – A Country on the Coast,” considering the Czech Republic is landlocked. “It catches the eye, it stimulates the imagination – far beyond the literary motif of Bohemia by the Sea,” he said, according to a press release.

Boos added that the event will focus on “the cultural and literary perspective of a country located in the heart of Central Europe,” and will feature contemporary Czech authors such as Radka Denemarková, Jáchym Topol, and Kateřina Tučková.

The Czech Republic will also participate in this year’s fair, scheduled for Oct. 18–22, with 23 Czech publishing houses showcasing various titles across genres.

Started in 1976, the Guest of Honour program at the Frankfurt Book Fair aims to spotlight international literature, focusing on the book industry of the chosen country. It also promotes translations into German and gives global publishers incentives to publish titles from the guest nation.

Slovenia holds this year’s honor, following a list of previous countries that includes Spain, Italy, and the Philippines for 2024 and 2025, respectively.