Leipzig Book Fair with record attendance in uncertain times

For the first time in its history, the Leipzig Book Fair has attracted more than 300,000 visitors. As the organizers announced on the last day of the fair, around 313,000 guests came to the book fair, the associated reading festival "Leipzig liest" and the Manga-Comic-Con. This means that the fair clearly exceeded the previous record set last year by 17,000 visitors. For four days, 2,044 exhibitors from 54 countries presented themselves in Leipzig.

Declining sales in the book trade

Despite the party atmosphere and all the colorful hustle and bustle of the trade fair, these are uncertain times for the literary industry. Last year, the book trade suffered a 2.9 percent drop in sales after years that had previously been largely stable. And according to the German Publishers and Booksellers Association, the first months of 2026 were also weak and below the previous year's level. The consumer climate remains weak due to the wars and crises around the world.

Criticism of the Minister of State for Culture

In addition, there is political turbulence caused by Minister of State for Culture Wolfram Weimer (non-party). His decision to remove three left-wing bookshops from Berlin, Bremen and Göttingen from the list of nominees for the German Bookstore Award due to unspecified "findings relevant to the protection of the constitution" was booed by parts of the audience at the opening of the fair.

The prize should have been awarded for the first time at the book fair. However, the Minister of State for Culture canceled the event completely and suggested that the prize be developed further next year.

Date for the next book fair set

The headwind for Weimer's approach rippled through the fair. The new winner of the Leipzig Book Fair Prize, Katerina Poladyan, who was born in the Soviet Union, used her acceptance speech to express her criticism: "You must forgive me for the fact that state action based on vague references, on unspecified intelligence findings, awakens deep-rooted unease and dark memories in me. Dark memories of a suffocating atmosphere of uncertainty and powerlessness."

Next year, the Leipzig Book Fair will be held from March 18 to 21. Before that, the Frankfurt Book Fair, the second major industry gathering of the year, will take place in the fall from October 7 to 11.