Spain was already honoured 30 years ago, in 1991, and for 2021 its main objective is "to improve the knowledge abroad of Spanish literature, which is experiencing one of the most interesting moments of its recent history." For the Guest of Honour Programme, Spain will show a selection of artistic projects in collaboration with Spanish cultural institutions.
In the run-up to 2022, AC/E and the General Directorate of the Book intend to increase the number of Spanish titles translated into German and create renewed international interest in our literature; to facilitate the presence of a wide range of Spanish authors at international level; and to update and revitalize cultural relations between Spain and Germany through literary and cultural cooperation.
To support the sale of rights, AC/E plans to develop a programme of translation grants for foreign and Spanish publishers, as well as promoting collaboration between the Spanish, German and international book industry through professional meetings, festival activities and German cultural events. The literary programme is one of the project’s priorities and it is expected that authors will travel to Germany through the previous editions from 2019, 2020 and 2021. To reinforce diffusion across all genres, specific actions will be held in the fields of poetry, drama, literature for children and young adults, scientific-technical publishing and the sale of rights for the audiovisual sector. There will also be a focus on the literary figures of Benito Pérez Galdós and Emilia Pardo Bazán, whose deaths will be commemorated in 2020 and 2021 respectively.