‘No opinion is forbidden’: Italy’s controversial attendance at Frankfurt Book Fair

Italian Publishers Association president Innocenzo Cipolletta defends Italy’s controversial attendance at Frankfurt Book Fair.
Italian delegates arrive at the 76th Frankfurt Book Fair as the national guest of honour, the first time Italy has been given the venerated position since 1988.

At the world’s oldest and biggest book fair, the Italian delegation is led by the Italian Publishers Association (AIE) and represented by Alessandro Giuli, Italian Minister of Culture alongside a selection of the nation’s celebrated writers. However, the presence of politicians from Prime Minister Georgia Meloni’s government and the absence of key literary figures has stoked questions over their inclusion.

The Frankfurt Book Fair’s history dates back over 500 years, before the advent of printed books. At first, there was a small fair for selling handwritten books with the more formal fair established after Johannes Gutenberg pioneered the printing press in the 15th century.

Its current iteration came when the fair was re-established after World War II in 1949. Since 1976, the fair has selected a country as the guest of honour. Each guest of honour is provided with a special exhibition hall and an entire literary programme dedicated to their industry.