Russia will be major player at Frankfurt book fair

For the first time in the 55-year history of the world's largest book fair in Frankfurt, Russia will hold a central role, said Deputy Director of the Ministry for Press, Television and Radio Broadcasting and Mass Communication Vladimir Grigoriev at a press conference on Thursday.

He said that already in 1992 Russia won a tender to become an honorary guest at the book fair but that program was never realized due to the break up of the Soviet Union. Grigoriev also said that the status of honorary guest gives a country the chance to display at one time in two pavilions with a total space of 4800 square meters. Of the more than 20 thousand registered book publishers in Russia, more than 100 of the largest Russian publishers will take part in the Frankfurt book fair, said Grigoriev.

Moreover, he said that either Russian President Vladimir Putin or Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov will be present for the book fair opening, and the Russian delegation would also include more than 100 of the top Russian men and women of letters including representatives of all genres and directions of modern literature.