Invitation
Dear Partners and Colleagues,
Between October 1 and 4, 2026, the Hungarian Publishers and Booksellers Association will organize the 31st Budapest International Book Festival at the Hungexpo C Congress Center, where leading figures of contemporary world literature and the Hungarian book industry will come together.
This year, German-language literature will take center stage, with Germany, Austria, and Switzerland as the festival’s guest-of-honor countries. At the invitation of the German Federal Foreign Office, the Frankfurt Book Fair will also join the guest-of-honor program, further strengthening the international presence of German-language literature at the festival. A number of prominent authors from the guest-of-honor countries have already confirmed their participation.
The festival’s guest of honor and nominee for the Budapest Grand Prize will be one of the most influential figures of contemporary world literature, the Irish writer Colm Tóibín, whose works have been translated into more than 30 languages. His new novel, The Magician, will be published in Hungarian for the occasion of the festival. During his visit to Budapest, he will deliver an inaugural academic lecture and will be one of the festival’s featured speakers.
On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of Irish–Hungarian diplomatic relations, Irish literature will receive special attention. The festival will also host several internationally acclaimed contemporary Irish authors, some of whom will present newly published works in Hungarian. In addition, numerous roundtable discussions and professional programs will further reinforce the presence of Irish literature.
The Budapest International Book Festival has traditionally hosted outstanding figures of world literature; previous guests of honor have included Umberto Eco, Günter Grass, Janne Teller, and Lyudmila Ulitskaya.
Each year, the event attracts tens of thousands of visitors, offering more than fifty thousand books, alongside hundreds of programs — including author talks, book signings, book launches, and children’s events — all free of charge for the public.
Gyerek(b)irodalom (Children’s Lit Kingdom) is organized especially for children to satisfy the interest and needs of young generations with promotion of children’s books and special programs for kids.
The Book Festival also serves as a professional and business forum, hosting trade meetings, conferences, and lectures on the key issues of the book market and reading habits. In 2026, we will once again establish the Rights Center—unique in the history of Hungarian book festivals—where domestic and international rights professionals, agencies, and publishers can meet both prospective and long-standing partners from the region.
We hope that we can welcome you among the exhibitors of the 31st International Book Festival Budapest, to be held between 01st-04th October, 2026.
Hungarian Publishers and Booksellers Association