Buch Wien: A Review

In a year dominated by the Covid-19 pandemic, lock-downs, event cancellations and the shift into the digital space, with readings and book presentations that could only be followed via live-stream, Buch Wien was a stroke of luck. For 4 days, real encounters with writers were once again possible, one could immerse oneself in the world of literature and exchange ideas with other interested people. 41,000 people visited the fair and enjoyed the very pleasant, lively atmosphere.

The TRADUKI programme, 8 book presentations and discussions at the fair as well as 2 evening events, garnered much interest and we were able to count many visitors at every single event.

Whether it was the discussion on the end of Yugoslavia 30 years ago, or the one on the importance of translation and the situation of translators in the field of literature, many people followed these lively debates attentively. Five new books were presented in the presence of the writers: Ioana Pârvulescu presented Wo die Hunde in drei Sprachen bellen, Goran Vojnović his bestseller Tschefuren raus, Rumena Bužarovska her debut in the German-speaking world Mein Mann, Tanja Stupar Trifunović her novel Die Uhren in Mutters Zimmer, and Srdjan Knežević Das weiße Zimmer.

It seems that in these last difficult months many have rediscovered the value of books and a taste for reading, and in the process they have also become curious about other literary worlds, for example the one of Southeast Europe. The brisk demand for the books of our guests only underscores this observation.

Thank you to all our Buch Wien participants! We had a wonderful time in Vienna!

The next Buch Wien will take place from 23–27 November 2022.