France, Guest of Honor at Budapest Int'l Book Festival

Organized by the French Embassy in Budapest and the French Institute, the French stand presents the best of contemporary French literature and publishing.

The Budapest International Book Festival, which will take place from September 26 to 29 at the Millenáris, is one of the most prominent literary and book fairs in Central Europe, with the French guest of honor drawing on the richness of the long-standing French-Hungarian literary relationship. This special opportunity to be featured is a great way for visitors to discover the diversity of French literature and publishing.

The series of events, designed around the slogan ‘réflexion’, will allow Hungarian audiences to discover contemporary French literature, from youth literature to comics, from historical fiction to social science essays, in the presence of renowned French authors and artists.

Pierre Assouline, Arnaud Dudek, Didier Eribon, Magali Le Huche, Marie-Aude Murail, Pascale Robert-Diard and Zanzim will present their books in Hungarian translation in round-table discussions, book launches and readings at the French stand and other venues throughout the festival.

The intellectual life of the two countries is linked in many ways, with the most productive period being the 19th century, when great classics of French literature such as Victor Hugo, Marcel Proust and Gustave Flaubert influenced Hungarian writers. French authors have been translated into Hungarian in large numbers ever since: French is the third most frequently used source language in Hungary today. The French Institute of Budapest also supports the publication of French authors in Hungarian through its publishing support program. The current situation of literary translation will also be highlighted in the context of the professional discussion organized in the framework of the French program.

Comics, a genre that is still very popular in France, will also be spotlighted at the French stand, where Zanzim, illustrator of the multi-award-winning comic strip In Men's Skins, will hold a workshop on comic drawing. Youth literature will also be well represented with Marie-Aude Murail, author of the Soul Doc series, a favorite among Hungarian teenagers, who won the Hans-Christian Andersen Prize in 2022, considered the Nobel Prize for the genre. To delight the little ones, Magali Le Huche will also be at the Book Festival to present her Pepe series, which has been popular in Hungary for a decade and introduces children to different musical styles.

Desire, fantasy, love and sexuality will be among the themes of the round table with Zanzim and Marie-Aude Murail, and Arnaud Dudek, whose book ‘Be reasonable’ was nominated for the Goncourt Prize for best first books in 2012.

Pascale Robert-Diard's ‘The Little Liar’ and Didier Eribon's ‘The Return of Reims’ explore contemporary social issues, including sexual abuse, homosexuality and the possibility of social empowerment. As a member of the Goncourt Academy, he will present the Goncourt Prize, the most prestigious French literary award, alongside the novel ‘The Swimmer’ by writer and journalist Pierre Assouline.

The event will also be an opportunity for professional meetings, thanks to the participation of the International Bureau of French Publishers (BIEF) and several French publishers.

In total, the French stand at the Book Festival will offer around 30 activities (conferences, talks, workshops, concerts, family and other events), with a selection of over 1,000 French-language books.