HPBA Statement on the 31st Budapest International Book Festival

The Hungarian Publishers’ and Booksellers’ Association will hold the 31st Budapest International Book Festival from 1 to 4 October 2026. This year, the Hungexpo C Congress Centre will host Hungary’s largest international book event. The Festival will be opened by writer András Visky at 4:00 p.m. on 1 October in the Plenary Hall on the second floor of the Hungexpo C Congress Centre.

The Festival’s Guest of Honour is Colm Tóibín, the internationally renowned contemporary Irish writer. He will receive the capital’s prestigious literary award, the Budapest Grand Prize, from the Mayor of Budapest and Dr Katalin Gál, President of the Hungarian Publishers’ and Booksellers’ Association. Colm Tóibín’s new novel, The Magician, will be published in Hungarian for the Festival. On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Ireland and Hungary, special attention will be devoted to Irish literature. Contemporary Irish authors including Justin Quinn, Jan Carson and Eilish Ní Duibhne will also take part in the Festival. Several of them will be arriving to present their newly published Hungarian-language books.

It is now a tradition at the Budapest International Book Festival to showcase the culture, literature and publishing of a particular country or region. This year, in an unusual format, three countries – Germany, Austria and Switzerland – will jointly receive special attention, with a particular focus on contemporary German-language literature. The joint Guest of Honour programme of the three countries is being realised through the cooperation of the Goethe-Institut Budapest, the German Federal Foreign Office, the Austrian Cultural Forum and the Embassy of Switzerland. At the invitation of the German Federal Foreign Office, the Frankfurt Book Fair will also join the Guest of Honour programme, further strengthening the international presence of German-language literature at the Festival. The diversity of contemporary German-language literature will be represented by authors including Nelio Biedermann, Katja Brandis, Dimitré Dinev, Gábor Fónyad, Martina Hefter, Stefanie Höfler, Martin Korte, Christian Kracht, Kristina Moninger, Melinda Nadj Abonji, Michael Roher, Eugen Ruge, Tonio Schachinger, Johanna Sebauer, Elisabeth Steinkellner, Natalka Sznyadanko, Sarah Welk, Daniel Wisser and others who have confirmed their participation on behalf of the Guest of Honour countries.

The György Somlyó Translation Award will be presented for the first time on 1 October 2026, at the opening ceremony of the 31st Budapest International Book Festival.

Established by the French Institute in Hungary in 2025, the György Somlyó Translation Award draws attention to translators whose dedicated work brings French and Francophone literature to Hungarian readers. The award highlights the important role of translators in intercultural dialogue and contributes to encouraging a new generation of translators. The György Somlyó Translation Award will be presented for the first time on 1 October 2026, at the opening ceremony of the 31st Budapest International Book Festival. The winner will be selected from the following three finalists by a jury chaired by Krisztina Tóth: Adrienn Gulyás – Annie Ernaux: The Other Daughter (Magvető); Kornélia Kiss – Sibylle Grimbert: The Last One (Magvető); Ildikó Lőrinszky – Leïla Slimani: Watch Them Dance! (Európa).

The Esterházy Hungary Foundation, a well-known supporter of contemporary visual art, launched a programme in 2025 dedicated to supporting contemporary literature. At the Book Festival, visitors can attend an exclusive panel discussion with the 2026 winner of the Esterházy Literary Prize, followed by a book signing.

The four-day event will welcome visitors with 130 exhibitors, nearly 200 programmes, 400 book signings, and renowned Hungarian and international authors. The Gyerek(b)irodalom children’s programme, located on the ground floor, will offer families a wide range of activities alongside its focus on promoting children’s books and reading.

One of the innovations of the 31st Budapest International Book Festival is the Különleges Gyermekvilág – Műhely és előadótér (Special Children’s World – Workshop and Lecture Space). The programme space aims primarily to provide children with special needs with a safe and accepting environment in which to connect with books, play and creative activities. The programme includes arts and crafts sessions, filmstrip screenings and workshops. Parents will meanwhile be offered talks on neurodiversity, autism, ADHD, sensory processing, mental health and the therapeutic role of storytelling.

Comics will have a particularly prominent place in this year’s Book Festival programme. In the Comics Zone, numerous Hungarian comic-book publishers will welcome visitors and open a window onto this diverse medium through their publications. Alongside American, European and Japanese comics, visitors will also have the opportunity to explore works by Hungarian creators, meet them in person and have their books signed with original drawings.

The 31st Budapest International Book Festival offers a wide range of cultural programmes featuring prominent representatives of world literature and Hungary’s intellectual and cultural life. Throughout the four days of the event, visitors can attend author-reader meetings, readings, book signings, literary evenings, book launches and discussions. All programmes are free of charge.

At the 2027 Budapest International Book Festival, Finland and Finnish literature may be presented as Guests of Honour.

We warmly welcome everyone who loves literature and books!

Hungarian Publishers’ and Booksellers’ Association