Three countries – one language:
German language literature in focus at Göteborg Book Fair in 2011

We can now confirm that the 2011 Book Fair will focus especially on Germanic literature. Germany, Austria and Switzerland are working together on the theme which will draw attention to many writers, including the new post Berlin Wall generation.

During the last two decades a new generation of outstanding authors - several internationally recognized - has emerged in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. No fewer than three Nobel Prizes have been awarded to Germanic authors since 1999, with the most recent awarded to Herta Müller earlier this year.

- We want to showcase the positive development of literature in our countries in the past two decades. There is so much for Swedish readers to discover; from novels and crime fiction to poetry and essays and from picture books to biographies, commented the three countries' representatives via Heike Friesel, director of the Goethe Institute in Stockholm.

- We have worked well together with Germany, Austria and Switzerland for many years, and now we are especially pleased to present this theme at Göteborg Book Fair. German is the biggest language in Europe; over 100 million people speak German and the countries share a very rich literature, says Anna Falck, MD of Göteborg Book Fair.

"Three countries - one language, German language literature in focus" is a cooperation between:

- Goethe-Institut Sweden (Goethe-Institut Schweden)
- Frankfurt Book Fair (Frankfurter Buchmesse)
- Austrian Booksellers and Publisher's Association (Hauptverband des österreichischen Buchhandels)
- The Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (WKO-Aussenwirtschaft Österreich)
- Swiss Booksellers and Publisher's (Schweizer Buchhändler- und Verleger-Verband SBVV)
- The Swiss Arts Council (Pro Helvetia)

Further support for the theme comes from the German, Austrian and Swiss embassies in Sweden.

The Book Fair, which is held at the Swedish Exhibition Center in Göteborg, has 100,000 visitors every year. In 2011 the Book Fair will be held from the 22nd-25th September.

Next year, 23rd-26th September 2010, the theme is Africa and African literature.