In his first participation in the Guatemala International Book Fair (Filgua)the German Embassy and the Frankfurt Book Fair invite attendees to discover part of the cultural wealth of that country.
With one of the largest pavilions of this edition – 133 square meters – Germany offers a program that will allow the public to get closer to its culture, its literary tradition and the work of its authors.
Under the motto “Stories that build bridges”, the pavilion will provide an experience designed to bring visitors closer to the diversity of contemporary German culture.
As Guest Country of Honor of the XXIII edition of Filgua, Germany presents 140 activities that include literature, music, cinema, learning spaces on artificial intelligence and cultural diplomacy.
With the participation of 30 German exhibitors and institutions, the guest country seeks to strengthen cultural exchange. Marifé Boix García, vice president of Business Development for Southern Europe and Latin America at the Frankfurt Book Fair, told Free press that this participation represents an opportunity to expand the German presence in Guatemala and promote the exchange of experiences.
In addition, he explained that the program incorporates unprecedented activities in Filgua, including training aimed at the publishing sector on artificial intelligence, literary translation and the use of AI in editorial processes.
Boix García added that the pavilion was also conceived as an interactive space, so it will have a collection of books that stand out for their illustrations, including graphic novels and comics.
Likewise, there will be an exhibition on the history of the German School of Guatemala, film screenings at Fórum Majadas and the broadcast of some matches from the 2026 World Cup.
According to Boix García, the objective of the pavilion is to present a broad image of Germany and show the opportunities it offers to learn German, get to know the country and facilitate exchange through the German institutions that already have a presence in Guatemala.
Work team of the German Pavilion at the Guatemala International Book Fair 2026, (Photo Prensa Libre: Keneth Cruz)
What can you find in the pavilion?
Boix García explained that, when they began planning the project, they did not imagine that so many institutions would want to participate. Finally, about 30 exhibitors joined. In addition, there will be activities in other rooms of the venue and the screening of German films at Cinemark Majadas Once.
Inside the pavilion there will be collections of German books, exhibitors linked to the publishing market, a space specialized in cartography and maps of different parts of the world, as well as a scientific publishing house dedicated to specialized publications.
It will also have an area dedicated to German language teaching, academic cooperation, the economy and bilateral relations.
Another space will be run by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), where visitors will be able to learn about study opportunities, learn about the German language, find out about scholarships and explore possibilities for academic cooperation.
Inside the German Pavilion at the Guatemala International Book Fair 2026 there will be a space for exhibitors linked to the publishing market. Free Press Photo: Kenneth Cruz)
Experiences for the public
As part of the programming, the pavilion will offer various experiences for visitors, including:
- The “reading hairdresser”, a space where attendees can get their hair cut while another person reads aloud to them.
- Virtual reality glasses to visit emblematic places in Germany and learn about its culture through 360° immersive experiences.
- Broadcast of matches from the 2026 World Cup.
- Participatory session with DJ and a musical night.
In addition, the pavilion will have at least 175 books on display so that visitors can learn about part of the German literary tradition.
The exhibition of German literature and illustration will be part of the attraction of this edition. (Free Press Photo: Kenneth Cruz)
Guest cultural figures
- Helene Bukowski, writer.
- Carolin Emcke, philosopher, journalist and writer.
- Mia Oberländer, illustrator.
- Stefan Peters, academic and researcher.
- Denny Beuerbach, the “Reading Barber.”
Activities also include German film nights, which will take place at Cinemark Majadas Once.