selenak

This year, the number of receptions on the evenings of the Frankfurt Book Fair has been greatly reduced due to the financial crisis. This meant that for the first time, I was able to attend the big official opening on Tuesday. Considering the big kerfuffle last month when for the advance conference this year's guest of honour, China, demanded two authors should be disinvited, you could say the atmosphere ahead of time was tense, and our press in a belligerent mood. The Chinese aside, the other current big issues are the ongoing argument authors versus Google and the fixed price question. Here's a quick summary of what happened.

Security: *is extremely tight, though not as much as in the year after 9/11 - I didn't have to show my passport, just go through a normal air port type screening*

First speech, by Gottfried Honnefelder, chairman of the German Booktrade: After the Nazis, we tried to rebuild our reputation as big fighters for the freedom of speech with this event. Sorry about this year's embarrassment. As opposed to some people, I think apologies are not demeaning when necessary. Also, Madam Chancellor, please continue to fight evil Google for us. Yay American ministry of justice for stopping Google at the last minute from becoming the biggest publisher of the world and stealing our mental property! Lastly, Mr. Vice President Xi Jinping, have a Schiller quote and grant the writers in your country freedom of thought and deed.

Second speech, by Jürgen Boos, director of the Book Fair (aka the guy currently nicknamed Mr. Spineless, as he was the one who did the disinvite last month): Look, a meeting of cultures means dialogue, not ongoing protest! Accusing monologues don't help anybody. We're sort of a modern agora where opponents can meet. Also, one of the people who can't atttend due to their health said that it's better something happens than if it doesn't happen, see what I mean? Plus, results: before this year's book fair, there were only about 60 titles translated from current day Chinese authors into German. After this year's book fair, there will be over 400! We're doing GOOD!

Third speech, by Petra Roth, Lady Mayor of Frankfurt: Chinese cultural history is awesome. They invented paper, and mobile letters for printing centuries before Gutenberg did. We have a nifty partner town in China, and the only Chinese language book store in Germany. Freedom of speech is important, too, but politeness is important. Go book fair!

Fourth speech, by Roland Koch, Minister President of Hessen: We're ever so glad here that the Book Fair stays in Frankfurt because we really need the cash. Also, Madam Chancellor, continue to fight the evil Google power because writers need cash, too. Lastly, Mr. Vice President of China, ~~free Tibet~~ "I have always had enormous compassion for the people of Tibet". (The last was literally the ending of his speech.)

Fifth speech, by Mo Yan, famous Chinese novelist: China has a lot of people and a lot of writers. Over a hundred of us were allowed to come, and we're all going to visit Goethe's birthplace in order to understand how such a genius and great soul could be born in this town.
(Frankfurtians: Err, thanks?) I love Goethe. Günter Grass, too, and btw, my Chinese cultural identity was not threatened by reading the later. Goethe was a citizen of the world. As for Germans in general, a hundred years ago, we had a saying about Germans, that they had no knees and if you knocked them down they remain on the ground because they can't get up again.
(*Audience: thinks of 1870-1945, cringes.*) Yay for cultural exchange, though! Did I mention I love Goethe?

Sixth speech, by Tie Ning, President of the Chinese Writer's Association:: I love Goethe, too! Will so visit the birthplace. Grass is nifty. We have an unbroken cultural history of 5000 years and are very awesome, and I wonder why people don't appreciate that more. Buy more Chinese books, please?

Seventh speech, by Xi Jinping, Vice President of the People's Republic of China: Dear fellow citizens of Goethe, thanks for inviting us. We have a great culture. Also we're currently celebrating our 60th anniversary and have been reforming for 30 years, and our economy rocks. People should think more positively, don't you agree? I promise to visit the birth place.

Eigth speech, by Angela Merkel: Books are incredibly important to citizens of an oppressive dictatorship. By which I mean the former GDR, being an East German. Oh, how well I remember my youth! Not that it reminds me of anything, but I do remember how it felt like to wait and wait for new publications, to hope Western relatives would secretely send us books in addition to soap and oranges. How we loved our writers, especially those forbidden to write. In more current news, I'll continue to fight Google. Also my goverment still supports fixed prices for books. (Footnote: this is something most countries have abandoned, but believe me, German authors are happy to have the fixed price agreement by the German book trade. It essentially means that publishers can't try to ruin each other by selling books below a certain price level. This is helpful for the authors who get 10% of the bookstore price as an avarage.) Also, we honour Chinese culture, and I encourage everyone to question our honoured guests about their country even if the questions sound stupid, for how else can we learn?

Honnefelder: And that's it! The 61st Frankfurt Book Fair has begun! Snacks are outdoors.

Audience: Does that mean we get free Chinese food?

Security: Only if you're an invited guest of the Chinese goverment.