Minister of Cultures leads the farewell to the Chilean delegation taking part in the Frankfurt Book Fair 2026

The Minister of Cultures, Arts and Heritage, Francisco Undurraga, led the farewell to the delegation that will represent Chile at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2026, to be held in Germany from 7 to 11 October.

The ceremony took place at the Centro Cultural La Moneda and was attended by the Undersecretary of Cultures and Arts, Carlos Lobos; the Director General of ProChile, Ignacio Fernández; the Director of Cultural Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Patricia Araya; the Director of Strategic Alliances at Imagen de Chile, Víctor Palma; the Executive Director of Frankfurt 2027, Nicolás Leyton; the Executive Director of the Centro Cultural La Moneda, Alejandra Valenzuela; and representatives of the book sector.

“You are not just another Chilean delegation heading to a fair abroad. You are the delegation that will be in Frankfurt when Chile receives the title of Guest of Honour for 2027. That is why, after so much preparation, this trip may feel like a landing. But in reality it is a setting sail towards something new. You are not only going to show what Chile has done and what Chile is; you are going to open doors for what Chile can do. So I ask you to make the most of this trip. Observe, learn. Show the world who we are. Open doors for everyone who will come after you,” said Minister Francisco Undurraga.

Chile’s participation this year is one of the main preparatory milestones for the country’s presence as Guest of Honour in 2027. The programme combines literary, professional, institutional and communication activities, with a broad delegation of authors, publishers, agencies and translators. The national delegation plays a central role: its participation will strengthen the presence of the Chilean publishing sector at the fair, generate professional meetings, activate collaboration networks and showcase the diversity of Chilean publishing, literature and translation to international stakeholders, while also strengthening networks for internationalisation, translation, circulation and rights trading.

“I invite you to see this fair as a space where the publishing industry and other creative sectors can grow stronger, expand and consolidate. The consolidation of those projects, the work of cultural management, also carries the possibility that many novelists, essayists, poets, illustrators and short-story writers can aspire to make a living from their work — to live from culture thanks to the collaborative work that those of us who have chosen this path can and must carry forward. A fair like this is one of many steps along that road, but it is a step that broadens the horizons of all of us who live from this,” said Nicolás Leyton, Executive Director of the Chile in Frankfurt 2027 project.

This year’s Chilean delegation is made up of 13 authors, a professional delegation of 36 publishers and agencies, and six invited translators. The literary delegation comprises María José Ferrada, Rodrigo Marín, Alberto Montt, Daniela Catrileo, Carlos Soto Román, Carmen García Palma, Sol Undurraga, Alberto Fuguet, Alejandra Costamagna, María José Viera-Gallo, Juan Cristóbal Peña, Claudio Aguilera and Gabriela Lyon. They are joined by a professional delegation of representatives of publishing houses, literary agencies and other players in the Chilean book ecosystem.

“Frankfurt 2027 is not a finish line but a beginning that seeks to broaden the frontiers of Chilean literature. That is why, since 2023 — the year the invitation to be Guest of Honour was formalised — joint work between the public and private sectors has made the delegations grow to include more and more players from the book ecosystem, all part of a close-knit chain, to be part of this milestone in the history of the Chilean book,” emphasised Francisca Jiménez, publisher and member of the Frankfurt 2026 delegation.

Six invited translators will also take part: Camila Fadda Gacitúa, Soledad Lagos Rivera, Mónica Drouilly Hurtado, Cristina Varas Largo, Alejandra del Río Lohan and Pavella Coppola Palacios. Their inclusion is especially significant on the road to Frankfurt 2027, since translation is a strategic dimension for the international circulation of Chilean works and for strengthening ties with the German and international publishing markets.

“At the Ministry of Foreign Affairs we take on this challenge through Public Diplomacy and the projection of our Country Image. For the Ministry, literature is not only an artistic expression; it is a foreign-policy tool that helps project Chile as a reliable partner, a democratic, diverse and reflective nation, open to dialogue from the local to the global. In this context, our presence in Germany takes on special relevance, reinforcing a bilateral relationship grounded in a long-standing intellectual affinity and shared values,” highlighted the Director of Cultural Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Patricia Araya.

Meanwhile, the Director General of ProChile, Ignacio Fernández, stated that “ProChile is collaborating with the Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage on Chile’s participation at the Frankfurt Book Fair, given its experience in organising international participations. This is part of the joint work both institutions carry out to internationalise Chile’s creative industries, whose exports reached US$100 million in 2025 and which are important for generating employment and economic growth for the country.”

The publishers and agencies attending are Editoriales de Chile, Editorial Amanuta, VLP Agency, Kindberg Editorial, Invertido Ediciones, Pampa Negra Ediciones, Liberalia Ediciones, Puentes Agency, La Pollera Ediciones, Ediciones Ekaré Sur, Ebooks Patagonia, Pehuén Editores, Hueders, Ediciones Mis Raíces, NautaColecciones Editores, Cinosargo, Ediciones Minilupa, Fondo de Cultura Económica, Ediciones Metales Pesados, Konumpan Ediciones, Zig-Zag, Claraboya, Editorial Navaja, Zuramerica, Big Sur, Cooperativa de Trabajo Gráfica, NiFAM, Penguin Random House Chile, Caligrafix, Play Fun Learn Studios, Queltehue Ediciones and Ofqui Editores.

The Chile stand will be the delegation’s main meeting point during the fair and a point of reference for professionals, institutions, press and international guests. It will also be a key venue for meetings, networking and promoting the Chile Guest of Honour 2027 project.

Chile’s sustained participation is made possible by inter-ministerial work with the Division of Cultures, Arts, Heritage and Public Diplomacy (DIRAC) of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ProChile, which has supported its presence at international book fairs in the Americas, Europe and Asia, fostering international recognition of Chile’s literary production and its associated industry.