Buch Wien 2025 to feature Michel Friedman and László Krasznahorkai

The Buch Wien 2025 book fair is set to begin on November 25, positioning itself as a center for freedom of expression, discussion, and information. The event will feature approximately 450 talks and discussions involving around 500 authors and experts.

German publicist Michel Friedman will deliver the opening speech, titled ‘Jeder ist Jemand’ (Everyone is Someone), addressing the post-Shoah promise that no human should ever again decide the value of another person's humanity. Following the opening, Nobel laureate László Krasznahorkai will discuss his new novel, ‘Zsömle ist weg’.

Other notable participants include Nobel Peace Prize winner Oleksandra Matviichuk and Ukrainian poet Serhij Zhadan. The program also includes a discussion by Clemens Pig on the importance of cultural journalism for democracy and the presentation of the first German-Austrian Poetry Prize to mark the centenary of Ingeborg Bachmann.