Italy Guest of Honour in 1988 and 2024
Italy is Guest of Honour at the 76th Frankfurter Buchmesse, for the first time since 1988. That edition, dedicated to the theme of Italian cultural production, opened the highly successful annual edition of the event which assigns a special place in the programme to a country or linguistic region.
The 1988 Frankfurt Book Fair marked the pinnacle of a golden era for Italian literature, leading to increased international interest in contemporary writers and the growth of Italian translations.
To this day, the magnificence of the scenography created by Mario Garbuglia, a citadel to the Italian book in the pavilion to honour its history from the XVI century onwards, has not been forgotten in Frankfurt.
The reference to 1988 brings us back to the motto chosen for the Italian participation in the 2024 edition: "Roots in the future". Italy in Frankfurt aims to offer an image of culture as a meeting place between tradition and modernity but also between different and even opposing sensitivities.
A commitment of the Italian Government
The Guest of Honour Agreement was signed on 5 February 2018 by the Minister of Culture of the Italian Government and the CEO of the Frankfurt Book Fair.
The Coordination Committee
By Decree of the Minister of Culture on 19 November 2019, a Coordination Committee was established for the implementation of the project for Italy's participation in the 2024 Frankfurt Book Fair.
The Committee is made up of:
- Extraordinary Commissioner of the Government
- Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
- Secretary General of the Ministry of Culture
- Ambassador of the Italian Republic to Germany
- General Director of Libraries and Copyright
- President of the Center for Books and Reading
- General Director of the Agency for the promotion abroad and the internationalisation of Italian companies
Coordination Committee of the activities related to the participation of Italy as Guest of Honour at the Frankfurter Buchmesse 2024Discover the partners of the project
Extraordinary Commissioner Mauro Mazza
Mauro Mazza was born in Rome in 1955. A professional journalist since 1979, he has published numerous essays on literature, television and political culture. He has written several novels, winning the Acqui prize, the Riviera delle Palme prize and the Semeria-Casinò di Sanremo prize. As a television manager, he directed TG2, Rai 1 and Rai Sport. In June 2023 he was appointed Extraordinary Commissioner of the Government for the coordination of activities related to Italy's participation as Guest of Honour at the 2024 Frankfurter Buchmesse.
Inaugural speech by the Extraordinary Commissioner during the first press conference in October 2023 More on the 1st press conference in October 2023
Normative requirements
By decree of the President of the Republic and public and in accordance with Article 11 of Law No. 400 of 23 August 1988, Dr. Mauro Mazza was appointed Extraordinary Commissioner of the Government for the Coordination of Activities Related to Italy's Participation in the 2024 Frankfurter Buchmesse, from the date of this Decree and until 31 December 2023.
Extension of the appointment of Dr. Mauro Mazza as Extraordinary Government Commissioner for the coordination of activities related to Italy's participation, as Country of Honour, at the Frankfurter Buchmesse 2024, pursuant to Article 11 of Law No. 400 of August 23, 1988, already conferred by Presidential Decree of June 19, 2023, starting from the date of its expiry and until December 31, 2024.