At around noon today, some fifty writers took part in a presentation of the literary programme that the Institut Ramon Llull (IRL) has prepared for the 2007 Frankfurt Book Fair.
Three weeks before the Fair's opening, Josep Bargalló, director of the IRL, has announced that, "the presence of Catalan culture in Frankfurt is already a resounding success".
Bargalló is convinced that, "the Fair will provide a magnificent opportunity to show that we have a great literary tradition with great writers and this will help us to position ourselves in the international arena where we should be".
Everything, he says, guarantees that the Fair will be a great success, "for our country, for our writers, for the projection of Catalan culture and also for the publishing industry".
Carles Torner, head of Humanities and Science, described the main points of the literary programme, which focuses on three main themes: German translations of Catalan classics; presentations of German translations of contemporary authors; and dialogues between Catalan and German writers.
Apart from the inaugural and closing speeches, which will be given respectively by Quim Monzó and Baltasar Porcel, another important event to present Catalan literature will be held on October 10, featuring Pere Gimferrer, Joan Francesc Mira, Carme Riera, Salvador Giner and others.