Frankfurt Book Fair opens with Czech Republic as guest of honor

The neighboring country presents itself under a Shakespeare quote with 75 authors in Frankfurt.

By Katharina Wendt, Editor-in-Chief
Frankfurt am Main · 5 October 2026, 09:15 CEST · 2 min read

At a glance

Czech Republic appears as guest of honor under a Shakespeare motto
75 authors take part in more than 100 events
Guest of honor pavilion covers an area of 2,300 square meters

The 78th Frankfurt Book Fair will take place from Oct. 7 to Oct. 11, 2026, in Frankfurt am Main. The official opening ceremony begins Tuesday, Oct. 6, at 5 p.m. in the Congress Center Messe Frankfurt.

As the official guest of honor, the neighboring Czech Republic is the focus of the 78th edition. The guest country appears under the motto 'Czechia: A country on the coast,' based on the play 'The Winter's Tale' by William Shakespeare. For the appearance, 75 Czech authors are traveling to Frankfurt am Main. More than 100 literary and cultural events are scheduled, taking place both directly on the fairgrounds and at various venues across the city of Frankfurt.

Pavilion with inflatable elements

The guest of honor pavilion covers an area of 2,300 square meters and was designed by the architecture firm JinJan. Round, inflatable elements are used in the hall. These installations serve a dual purpose: they structure the large space and provide seating for visitors during the fair.

Content and organizational preparations for the Czech program are handled by the Moravian Library Brno, which is staging the project together with the Czech Literary Centre.

The guest of honor concept has a long tradition in Frankfurt: Since 1976, the Frankfurt Book Fair has presented a different guest of honor each year, presenting its literary work at the fair over five days.