Budapest Turns the Page: 30th International Book Festival Celebrates Literature Without Borders

Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony (l), writer Janne Teller (m), President of the Hungarian Publishers and Booksellers’ Association Katalin Gál (r)

The 30th edition of the Budapest International Book Festival officially opened on Thursday at the Budapest Music Center, celebrating its milestone year with Romania as this year’s guest of honor.

The festival, one of Hungary’s most significant literary events, runs through Sunday at the Bálna Defense Center, featuring over 160 exhibitors, 118 programs, and more than 300 book signings. The opening speech was delivered by Krisztián Steigervald, a generational researcher, who explored the dynamics between youth and old age, generational habits, and the importance of bridging the gap between different age groups.

In his address, András István Demeter, Romania’s Minister of Culture, emphasized the festival’s role in fostering dialogue between Romanian and Hungarian writers, translators, and editors. “The book festival creates an opportunity for listening, understanding, and discovering what brings us closer together,” he said.

Minister Demeter highlighted Romania’s extensive contribution to this year’s festival, including over 30 events: book launches, author dialogues, roundtable discussions, readings, and concerts.

The true significance of the festival lies not just in showcasing books,” he added, “but in opening new paths—through fresh translations, editorial collaborations, and shared literary projects.”

Gabriel Sopanda, Romania’s ambassador to Hungary, echoed this sentiment, underlining literature’s transformative role: “Literature is not a refuge—it is a force. As long as books represent the essence of free thought and expression, they will endure,” he said, calling literature “a cure for hatred and intolerance.”

Acclaimed Danish author Janne Teller was awarded the prestigious Budapest Grand Prize at the opening ceremony. The award was presented by Budapest Mayor Gergely Karácsony and Katalin Gál, President of the Hungarian Publishers and Booksellers’ Association.

Mayor Karácsony highlighted the festival’s three-decade legacy:

For 30 years, this has been one of Budapest’s most important cultural events, a celebration of books, readers, and writers.”

He praised Janne Teller’s literary contributions, particularly her power to reach young audiences through difficult moral questions, stating: “Literature heals, and Janne Teller uses fiction to tackle the uncomfortable truths of human existence.”

Writer and poet Orsolya Karafiáth lauded Janne Teller’s influential body of work, noting that her breakthrough novel “Nothing” was published 25 years ago, followed by “Everything” two decades ago. “Even if she had written nothing else, she would still belong among timeless authors,” Orsolya Karafiáth said.

Janne Teller, who originally worked as an economist and international advisor for the UN and the European Union, dedicated herself fully to writing in 1995. Having lived in several countries, her work reflects a range of cultural influences.

In her acceptance speech, Janne Teller expressed gratitude for the award, while reflecting on literature’s place in a shifting world:

We live in a time when reality has become fiction. Writing novels today feels like a contradiction,” she said.
There is no longer shared experience or agreement on reality—we are lost in a fog, unable to see clearly, act wisely, or write meaningfully.”

She contrasted the present with the past: “Thirty years ago, fiction was about asking questions, revealing overlooked aspects of life, and helping us cope with human existence.”

The French Institute used the festival to announce a new translation prize, the Somlyó György Literary Translation Award, which will be awarded for the first time in September 2026 under the leadership of Hungarian author and translator Krisztina Tóth. Applications are open until December 1.

Looking ahead, Janne Teller will appear at a public discussion on October 4 at the Budapest Music Center to present her new novel, Are You Proud of Me, Joanna?

That same day, the Korean Cultural Center and Jelenkor Publishing will host the Hungarian launch of We Do Not Part, the fourth book translated into Hungarian by Nobel Prize-winning South Korean author Han Kang, at the Pálffy Hall in Bálna Budapest.

Via MTI; Featured image: MTI/Bodnár Boglárka

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