Book Prize opening speeches Jury respect and openness

Oct 5

Jo Schück opens the 2026 German Book Prize ceremony by presenting literature as a way to understand people, tolerate ambiguity and enjoy language, while saying it cannot save the world. Ina Hartwig welcomes the audience to the Frankfurt Römer and congratulates the six shortlisted authors. She argues that jury decisions should be respected despite debate and praises the younger generation's treatment of German history and Jewish identities. She previews the next day's Book Fair and Open Books festival, thanks Jürgen Boos at what she calls his final fair as director after 21 years, and invokes Czechia's guest-country presentation to argue for cultural exchange across borders and against nationalist exclusion. She closes by welcoming Sebastian Guggolz to his association chairmanship.

At the October 5 Book Prize ceremony, Ina Hartwig thanks Jürgen Boos for what she describes as his final Frankfurt Book Fair as director after 21 years. In the context of Czechia's forthcoming Guest of Honour presentation, she rejects demands for a nationally purified culture, argues that dialogue across borders and languages enriches society, and says exclusion leads to impoverishment and destruction. She praises Boos's openness; this is a public appeal and tribute before the fair, not a report that its opening or a succession decision happened that evening.