News

Application to the 30th International Book Festival Budapest

The Hungarian Publishers’ and Booksellers’ Association organises the 30th International Book Festival Budapest from October 2nd to 5th, 2025 in the Bálna Centre of Military Culture. This is one of the most important cultural events in Hungary with ca. 70.000 visitors in the course of four days. It is considered an important meeting by publishers, authors and readers as well, almost the entire Hungarian book industry is represented here. Hundreds of interesting programs, interviews, conversations, book signings are held in the course of four days. The stands of international exhibitors, the European Writers’ Meeting, the discussions with the authors of the country of honour – which will be Romania this year – all contribute to a vibrant, international atmosphere at the Festival.

The guest of honour author at this year's Book Festival is Janne Teller, who will receive the Budapest Grand Prize from the Mayor of Budapest. Danish writer Janne Teller is the author of several bestselling books, which have provoked lively debate around the world. She always raises serious and uncomfortable questions, confronts us with the worst consequences of our actions and forces us to take a stand. Her most famous work, the controversial Nothing (Intet), is not simply a novel for young people, but a work that explores serious philosophical, moral and generational issues. As country of honour, the literature of the Romania will be in the focus of the Festival this year. Our aim is to help readers to get to know the culture, literature, publications of as many countries as they can.

We believe that sharing culture and literature is an effective tool to cooperate among countries. It would be a great pleasure to welcome you too on board at the International Book Festival Budapest 2025. This might also be a great opportunity for you, the presenter and promoter of the culture of your country to present your publications, authors and cultural connections with Hungary.

The application deadline is April 30, 2025.

Registration for the 30th International Book Festival Budapest 

After the registration period, we prepare the detailed map of the area and send the applicants our offer for the placement at the Festival venue. Following feedback from the exhibitors and eventual modifications, the first stage of the application ends with the invoicing. We will send the application form for the program rooms and book signings to the exhibitors in July.

Technical details

The 6 m² stands contain the following technical equipment: carpet, walls, bookshelves, counter with lock, 1 table, 2 chairs, 2 lamps, 1 plug/power point. The technical content of the 12 m² stands is the same as in case of the 6 m² stands, with the difference that there are 4 lamps, 2 tables and 4 chairs on the stand. The size of the external pavilions is uniformly 6 m² and they are equipped with 1 plug/power point, storage shelves, counter, linen canopy and 2 chairs. 

Please, feel free to contact us at info__at__bookfestival__dot__hu or at +36-1-343-2538 or +36-30-717-1396 if you need any further information.

I look forward to seeing you at the 30th International Book Festival Budapest!

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Application to the 29th International Book Festival Budapest

The International Book Festival Budapest – now held for the 29th time – will happen between September 26 and 29 2024, for which you are invited to apply.

The guest of honour author at this year's Book Festival is Jón Kalman Stefánsson, who will receive the Budapest Grand Prize from the Mayor of Budapest. Stefánsson is one of the most significant contemporary figures in Icelandic literature with global literary acclaim, whose novel The Fish Have No Feet received the French Prix du livre étranger for the best foreign-language book of the year in 2022. As country of honour, the literature of the French Republic will be in the focus of the Festival this year.

You can register for the Book Festival by filling out the form below.

Registration for the 29th International Book Festival Budapest 

The deadline for the applcation is May 31, 2024.

After the registration period, we prepare the detailed map of the area and send the applicants our offer for the placement at the Festival venue. Following feedback from the exhibitors and eventual modifications, the first stage of the application ends with the invoicing. We will send the application form for the program rooms and book signings to the exhibitors in July.

Technical details

The 6 m² stands contain the following technical equipment: carpet, walls, bookshelves, counter with lock, 1 table, 2 chairs, 2 lamps, 1 plug/power point. The technical content of the 12 m² stands is the same as in case of the 6 m² stands, with the difference that there are 4 lamps, 2 tables and 4 chairs on the stand. The size of the external pavilions is uniformly 6 m² and they are equipped with 1 plug/power point, storage shelves, counter, linen canopy and 2 chairs. 

If you have any questions or need more information about the event, please send us an e-mail to info__at__bookfestival__dot__hu.

We are looking forward to seeing you in Budapest!

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The guest of honour of this year's Festival is Jón Kalman Stefánsson 

Jón Kalman Stefánsson is a world-renowned writer, one of the most significant authors of contemporary Icelandic literature. He was born in 1963 in Reykjavík, worked as a bricklayer, butcher, fish processor, spent a summer as a policeman at Keflavík airport, later became a high school literature teacher and librarian. His writing career began with poems, his first volume was published in 1988. He began publishing novels in the nineties bringing him international success. In 2005 he won the Icelandic Literary Prize for his work Summer Light, and Then Comes the Night. In 2011 he was awarded the Per Olov Enquist Literary Prize. In 2017 his novel, titled Fish Have No Feet, was nominated for the Man Booker International Prize. He won the French Prix du livre étranger for the best foreign language book of the year in 2022.

In his richly woven tales connecting the everyday present and the often painful past with unparalleled psychological knowledge, he mixes poetry with an impeccable sense of style and proportion, using a detailed description of the harsh and often cruel Icelandic landscape and nature. His novels are always about the most important things in life. The twisted, mosaic-like storyline makes it possible to elementally experience the feelings of love, pain and death.

It also fits his Ars poetica as he tells about his literary beginnings: "When I was eighteen, I dreamed of becoming an astronomer after seeing a TV program, in which Carl Sagan talked about the universe. I was completely mesmerized by the richness and mystery of the universe—later I realized that this richness and mystery is what fiction is all about.”

Jón Kalman Stefánsson's novels have been translated into many European languages. In 2018, his book titled Fish Have No Feet was published in Hungarian for the first time. One of his main works, the Heaven and Hell trilogy, also recognized with the Icelandic Literature Prize, was published in 2019 by Jelenkor Kiadó, translated by Veronika Egyed. The trilogy was chosen as the book of the year in 2019 by Könyves Magazin. His other works in Hungarian are About the Size of the Universe (Typotex Kiadó, 2020), Summer Light, and Then Comes the Night (Typotex, 2021), Ásta (Jelenkor, 2021), Sparkle in the Stars (Typotex, 2021), A Few Things about Giant Pines and Time (Typotex, 2023), Your Absence Is Darkness (Jelenkor, 2023).

His Hungarian readers were able to meet him several times; he visited Hungary for the first time in 2018 at the invitation of Typotex Kiadó for the presentation of his book Fish Have No Feet at the Budapest International Book Festival. Later, at the invitation of the Margó Literature Festival he presented the Heaven and Hell trilogy in 2019, and Ásta (Jelenkor) in 2021. In 2023 Stefánssonarrived to Budapest for the presentation of his freshly translated books: Your Absence Is Darkness (Jelenkor Kiadó) and A Few Things about Giant Pines and Time (Typotex).

In 2024, Typotex Kiadó will publish Poems translated by Veronika Egyed, which provides a cross-section of his lyrical oeuvre with the author's self-ironic suffix titled Why waste paper? The volumes titled Ditches in Rain (translated by Veronika Egyed) and The Yellow Submarine (translated by Bence Patat) are expected to be released by Jelenkor Kiadó this year.

(Photo: Dániel Németh/Jelenkor Kiadó)

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HPBA announces the country of honour of the 2024 International Book Festival Budapest

We are pleased to announce that France will be the country of honour of the 29th International Book Festival Budapest.

The Festival will welcome its visitors between 26th and 29th of September 2024 at Millenáris.

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Hungarian Publishers and Booksellers Association announces the dates of 2024 book events

The 95^th Festive Book Week will take place between 13^th and 16^th of June 2024 on Vörösmarty tér and Duna-korzó.

The 29^th International Book Festival will welcome its visitors between 26^th and 29^th of September 2024 at Millenáris.

Hungarian Publishers and Booksellers Association

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HPBA’s announcement about the 28th Budapest International Book Festival

The Budapest International Book Festival, which will be held for the 28th time this year, is a noted event of the international book world, a defining professional and cultural forum of the region. The Book Festival will take place between 28th of September and 1st of October 2023 at Millenáris, Budapest.

This year's Festival awaits its visitors with 140 exhibitors and more than 40 foreign authors at the Millenáris - in the Park, buildings B (Great Hall) and D (Glass Hall), Europa Point and the National Dance Theater. In addition to popularizing children's books and reading, there will be a separate section for children - called Gyerek(b)irodalom (Children’s Lit Kingdom) - awaiting family visitors in building D, with a wide variety of programs.

The Budapest International Book Festival traditionally hosts the world's most prestigious writers and poets. The guest of honour of this year's Festival is the popular American science fiction writer - John Scalzi, who will receive the Budapest Grand Pize from the Mayor of Budapest.

This year, we welcome the Netherlands as the guest of honour country. It is typical of recent years that an exceptionally high number (even in Central Europe) of Dutch books have been published in Hungarian translation, which is also reflected in the slogan of the Dutch pavilion: "on the sea of ​​books". Visitors to the Book Festival can meet dozens of famous Dutch writers, poets, and illustrators - among them Arnon Grunberg, writer and journalist, author of The Man Without Disease, Abram de Swaan, essayist, sociologist, Martin Michael Driessen, writer, theater and opera director, and Annamarie Bon, popular youth author. At the guest of honour stand there will be a round table and thematic discussions, book signings and readings.

The Book Festival will be opened by Ildikó Boldizsár, a József Attila Prize winner writer, ethnographer, who is celebrating her 60th birthday this year. On behalf of the Dutch guest of honourship, Désirée Bonis, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Budapest, and Arnon Grunberg will be addressing the audience. The venue of the opening event will be the National Dance Theater.

The cooperation between PesText and the Book Festival will continue in 2023: visitors to the Book Festival can also meet the writers coming to the PesText Autumn Literary and Cultural Festival. Unfortunately, for personal reasons, the acclaimed Italian artist Alessandro Baricco cannot be with us this year. Among the authors participating in the organization of PesText are - among others - Janne Teller, author of the world-famous novel Nothing; Bergsveinn Birgisson, one of the most popular contemporary Icelandic authors; Gwenda Bond, creator of the first Stranger Things novel, Suspicious Minds, and Mathias Énard, winner of the Goncourt Prize. Two talented young writers are coming to Budapest and visiting the Book Festival: Nicholas Binge from the United Kingdom, who works in the science fiction genre, and Marisha Rasi-Koskinen from Finland, author of The Dark Side of the Sun.

Within the framework of the Book Festival, the European Writers' Meeting will take place on Friday, September 29 at the Europa Point. At the all-day event, we welcome those interested in European literature with round table discussions, they will be able to follow the various themed events with English-Hungarian simultaneous interpretation. The program of the Writers' Meeting includes - among other things - the round table of Dutch writers (participants: Arnon Grunberg, Roxane Van Iperen, Jamal Ouarachi, Manon Uphoff), and the discussion of European Literature Prize winners (participants: Federico Pedreira, Piia Leino, Peter Karoshi, Anja Mugerli, Richard Pupala).

Every year at the International Book Festival, the Budai Prize is awarded for the book and CD that best supports the upbringing of teens and education in secondary schools. The award was founded in 1994, the donor is the 2cond District of Budapest. This year the jury consists of teachers from Móricz Zsigmond High School. The award ceremony traditionally takes place on the last day of the Book Festival.

The 28th Budapest International Book Festival offers a multitude of cultural programs with the participation of outstanding representatives of world literature and domestic intellectual life. Readings, book signings, literary evenings, book premieres, round table discussions, and exhibitions await those interested during the four days of the event. All programs at the exhibition can be visited free of charge.

We welcome all lovers of literature and books.

Hungarian Publishers and Booksellers Association

Application to the 28th International Book Festival Budapest

The International Book Festival Budapest – now held for the 28th time – will happen between September 28 and October 1 in 2023, for which you are invited to apply.

This year we will welcome John Scalzi, Hugo Award winner science fiction author as the guest of honour, who will receive the Budapest Grand Prize from the Mayor of Budapest. A special guest of the Festival is Alessandro Baricco, author of Novecento, Ocean Sea and Silk, one of Italy's most versatile writers, the Festival's Literary Grand Prize will be awarded to him. As country of honour, the literature of the Netherlands will be in the focus of the Festival this year.

In 2023, the book fair will take place in Millenáris: Building B (Great Hall) and D (Glass Hall) and the Park. As in previous years, furnished stands, external pavilions and empty stand areas can be rented. In the case of the latter, the stand builders arrange the rented area based on the orders of the exhibitors. You can register for the Book Festival by filling out the form below.

Registration for the 28th International Book Festival Budapest

The deadline for the applcation is May 30, 2023.

After the registration period, we prepare the detailed map of the area and send the applicants our offer for the placement at the Festival venue. Following feedback from the exhibitors and eventual modifications, the first stage of the application ends with the invoicing. We will send the application form for the program rooms and book signings to the exhibitors in July.

Technical details

The 6 m² stands contain the following technical equipment: carpet, walls, bookshelves, counter with lock, 1 table, 2 chairs, 2 lamps, 1 plug/power point. The technical content of the 12 m² stands is the same as in case of the 6 m² stands, with the difference that there are 4 lamps, 2 tables and 4 chairs on the stand. The size of the external pavilions is uniformly 6 m² and they are equipped with 1 plug/power point, storage shelves, counter, linen canopy and 2 chairs.

If you have any questions or need more information about the event, please send us an e-mail to info__at__bookfestival__dot__hu.

We are looking forward to seeing you in Budapest!

Team of Hungarian Publishers and Booksellers Association

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Hungarian Publishers’ and Booksellers’ Association announces the dates of 2023 book events

Taking into account the preferences of the exhibitors and last year's experience the Board of HPBA decided to organize the 94^th Festive Book Week between 8^th and 11^th of June 2023 on Vörösmarty tér and Dunakorzó.

The 28^th International Book Festival will take place between 28^th of September and 1^st of October 2023 at Millenáris, the country of honour will be the Netherlands.

Hungarian Publishers’ and Booksellers’ Association

Slovakia at the 27th International Book Festival

After the success of Slovakia as guest of honour in 2016, the country's literature will have another opportunity to present itself at the Budapest International Book Festival. With the participation of the civic association BÁZIS, 29 volumes will be presented at the event with personal participation of the authors - among them are such names as Peter Balko, Silvester Lavrík, Michal Hvorecký, Katarína Kucbelová, Jana Juráňová. Authors from the youngest generation will also participate (Nicol Hochholczerová, Dominika Madro, Alena Sabuchová) as well as children's book authors (Jana Bodnárová, Andrea Gregušová, Eva Urbanová). Another special feature of this year’s guest of honour is that, in addition to Slovak authors, representatives of the Hungarian literary life of Slovakia will also participate in several programs. Five Hungarian literary journals - Jelenkor, Tiszatáj, Kalligram, Alföld and Irodalmi Szemle - will have a Slovak literary block. The Festival also pays special attention to Hungarian translators of Slovak literature. The volumes of Slovak authors will be presented by outstanding representatives of Hungarian literary life, including authors known in Slovakia as well, such as Pál Závada or Gábor Németh. The Slovak exhibition stand will be opened by György Dragomán and Anna T. Szabó together with the guests from Slovakia.

27th International Book Festival

The 27th International Book Festival Budapest will take place between 29 September and 2 October.

The Budapest International Book Festival, now being held for the 27th time, is a noted event of the international book world, the region's defining professional and cultural forum.

The festival awaits its visitors at the Millenáris, in a sophisticated environment, in an easily accessible, central location, with even more modern and beautiful exhibition spaces in the Reception (building G), and the Glass Hall (building D) and the park of the Millenáris.

The Budapest International Book Festival traditionally hosts the world's most prestigious writers and poets. The guest of honour at this year's festival is Nobel laureate Svetlana Alexievich, who will also receive the Budapest Grand Prize from the Mayor of Budapest.

Every year, the culture, literature, and book publishing of a country or region are presented as guests of honour. This year, the Hungarian Publishers’ and Booksellers’ Association, in cooperation with Bázis (Hungarian Literary and Art Association in Slovakia), will focus on the best of literature from Slovakia both in Hungarian and in Slovak languages.

In accordance with our traditions, we will set up a separate stand for BÁZIS in the fairgrounds of the Book Festival. On Thursday, September 29, at 4:00 p.m., the festival will begin with the opening ceremony, which will be held at the National Dance Theater.

Within the framework of the Festival, the highly successful European Debut Writers Festival, presenting the talents of young prose writers from the member states of the European Union, will be held. The event is organized as a joint venture of the 27 countries of the European Union and will take place at the Europa Point of Budapest. /Ce projet a été réalisé grâce au soutien de l’appel Créativité à l’européenne de l’Institut frança. / This project will be organized with the support of the European Creativity Program of the French Institute.

The Book Festival will be open from noon on the 29th of September; from 10:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. on Sunday.

Hungarian Publishers’ and Booksellers’ Association