Open Books 2026 Sets Frankfurt Reading Festival
The 18th Open Books festival will run from October 6-10 alongside the Frankfurt Book Fair, featuring 200 authors in 144 free events.
The Open Books reading festival will hold its 18th edition from October 6 to 10, 2026, in locations around Frankfurt's Römer square. The event, organized by the city's cultural office, will feature around 200 authors presenting new books from nearly 90 publishers across 144 events, with all but the opening gala being free of charge.
According to the organizers, the program will include the traditional 'Literature in the Römer' series, debut presentations, a Frankfurt-themed closing evening, and a strong focus on Czech literature as the Frankfurt Book Fair's 2026 Guest of Honour. Ina Hartwig, Frankfurt's Head of Cultural Affairs, stated she was particularly pleased that 'in the context of the Czech guest country appearance, we will have a Prague evening, which offers a major stage to our beautiful partner city on the Moldau.'
Event Highlights and Venues
The opening gala on October 6 will host the winner of the 2026 German Book Prize, former Saxony-Anhalt Minister President Reiner Haseloff, historian Andrea Wulf, and author Ingo Schulze. Festival director Sonja Vandenrath highlighted the program's strengths, saying, 'A strong non-fiction program and the most important titles of German-language literature characterize the Open Books reading festival this year as well.'
The festival will utilize numerous cultural venues across the city. These include the German National Library, the Römerhallen, the Volksbühne, the Frankfurt Art Association, the Evangelical Academy, Haus am Dom, the Historical Museum, and St. Catherine's Church. Also participating again are the Freies Deutsches Hochstift, the Heussenstamm Gallery, the Struwwelpeter Museum, and the Press and Information Office.
Literary Focus Programs
A core component is 'Literature in the Römer,' showcasing sixteen standout autumn novels on a so-called 'Römer list.' The events will be moderated by journalists from major German media outlets on Wednesday and Thursday. This is complemented by 'Debuts in the Römer,' where eight first works will be presented on Friday, moderated by Carolin Callies and Tilman Strasser.
The Czech Guest of Honour program is a major pillar. It culminates in a dedicated 'Prague Evening' celebrating Frankfurt's partner city. The festival also continues its cooperation with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung newspaper to present a new book by authors Meron Mendel and Saba Nur Cheema.
Special Series and Family Events
Open Books traditionally hosts the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade series 'Between the Lines' at St. Catherine's Church, where renowned authors read literature from war and crisis zones. A reading with the 2026 peace prize laureate, Philipp Sands, in conversation with Karl Schlögel, will also be held there.
The 'Open Books Kids' segment returns, featuring a picture book day at the Struwwelpeter Museum on Friday, October 9. The day includes mini-workshops for poetry, stamping, and upcycling. At the German National Library, young readers can see author Cornelia Funke, the first children's comic by Jörg Mühle, and a reading by Marcus Pfister with original puppets from the Augsburger Puppenkiste film.
Further established events include the presentation of the five nominees for the Swiss Book Prize, scheduled for Saturday evening. The full program and information are available on the festival's official website.
