The 97th Festive Book Week, one of Hungary’s most important literary traditions, returns this June with events taking place nationwide, transforming city squares, libraries, and cultural venues into hubs for literature, music, and public conversation.
While the main festival will be held in downtown Budapest between June 11–14, major accompanying programs are also planned in cities including Szeged, Veszprém, and Debrecen. The nationwide celebration brings together publishers, authors, poets, musicians, and readers through book launches, author talks, and open-air cultural events.
The Budapest event will span Vörösmarty Square, Vigadó Square, and the Danube Promenade, featuring 204 book stands, 540 newly released titles, and over 100 programs.
This year’s opening guest will be David Szalay, the Hungarian-born British writer who won last year’s Booker Prize.
The Hungarian translation of his award-winning novel Flesh will debut during the festival.
Among the featured new Hungarian releases are novels by Andrea Tompa, Gergely Péterfy, András Cserna-Szabó, and the late Béla Fehér, alongside major new poetry, nonfiction, and children’s books.
In the southern city of Szeged, organizers describe the local Book Week as the second largest in the country after Budapest. Over 100 events will take place across 20 venues through June 20, including book launches, exhibitions, concerts, literary discussions, and family programs. The traditional center of the festival is Dugonics Square, where publishers’ tents and an outdoor stage will host talks, theater performances, and live music.
Writer Éva Péterfy-Novák will officially open the Szeged festival on June 11. Featured guests include several well-known contemporary Hungarian writers and poets such as Márton Simon, László Kollár-Klemencz, and Rita Halász.
The guest of honor in Szeged will be German author Esther Kinsky, who will present her novel Further Away at the Belvárosi Cinema.
The city’s parallel Children’s Book Days festival will include concerts, storytelling events, and interactive family activities.
In Veszprém, the local Book Week runs June 17–19 with programs centered around book discussions, literary conversations, and evening cultural events. Highlights include presentations of books about travel, Europe, and Italy, alongside children’s performances and interactive programs. Violinist Zoltán Lantos will present his book Star Rust accompanied by live violin music.
The opening event will be led by Olympic champion Balázs Kiss, while poet Márton Simon’s independent publishing house, Okapi Press, will host readings and publishing discussions. Evening literary programs will take place in the historic Dubniczay Palace.
In eastern Hungary, Debrecen will host its Book Week from June 10–14 under the slogan “Open Gate – Open Book.” This year’s festival moves to a new location at the historic Aranybika Hotel and the square in front of it.
Organizers describe the Debrecen event as both a literary and “city diplomacy” occasion, with the Serbian city of Novi Sad (Újvidék) serving as guest city for 2026.
The program will feature writers and poets from the Hungarian community of Serbia’s Vojvodina region, including László Végel, Attila Balázs, and Anna Terék. Mornings will focus on children’s literature and family activities, while afternoons and evenings are aimed at adult audiences.
Fact
The origins of Hungary’s Festive Book Week date back to 1929, when the first event was launched at the initiative of Géza Supka. His entire intellectual life was closely connected to books and the cultural sphere, and he played a key role in shaping the idea of a nationwide celebration of literature.
The concept emerged in a period of significant cultural and social transition: the challenges of the book industry, the search for direction around the turn of the 20th century, the impact of the First World War, and the difficulties of the post-war era all contributed to the need for a renewed cultural platform.
Festive Book Week in Budapest, 1958. Photo: Fortepan / Hunyady József
Supka’s idea was to create a public event that would promote Hungarian books on a wide scale. He placed strong emphasis on both domestic and international visibility for Hungarian literature, and he formulated a clear guiding principle for the initiative: “Only Hungarian books” — a rule intended to ensure a focused celebration of national literature.
The primary aim of the Book Week was to restore the prestige and cultural significance of Hungarian literature while encouraging a broader reading culture. In the interwar period, newly emerging literary journals also shared this mission, seeking to preserve and strengthen Hungarian intellectual and cultural life. Today, the Festive Book Week remains one of Hungary’s defining literary events.
Via MTI, ntf.hu; Featured image: MTI/Kocsis Zoltán
