Project
Road to Frankfurt
For our country, being the Guest of Honor at the Frankfurt Book Fair is a unique opportunity to showcase our diversity and the investment we are making in a sustainable future through a variety of fields. We are undertaking this initiative from the distinctiveness of our own territory, where a multiplicity of voices and colors live, as well as from a young and blended Latin America.
The main goals of participation directly relate to the international promotion and positioning of the publishing sector, highlighting and increasing the number of publications by Chilean authors in the German and international markets. In addition, the collaborative work schedule being projected will allow Chile access to one of the most important platforms for the global dissemination of ideas, and, with this, can not only promote its literature, but also deploy its full potential in a variety of disciplines. The invitation is a chance to showcase the richness of Chile’s natural and cultural ecosystems, and highlight its unique condition as an Antarctic and maritime nation, and, especially, as a center for astronomic development. The invitation, then, will allow for strengthened exchange between Chile and Germany, at an intersectorial and multidisciplinary level.
The design of our stand, of the cultural program, and of satellite events that we project as part of the invitation will push us to bring together both the public and private sectors, as well as the best professionals from many fields.
While we think of the book sector as the motor that drives this whole project, we also recognize this milestone as an opportunity to consolidate the trajectories of our creators over the past few decades as they have been applauded beyond our borders, with the dissemination of their works being fundamental for insertion in foreign publishing markets. The Fair will mark a before and after, making possible new translation project that will bring together diverse agents from the book ecosystem, including authors, illustrators, and publishers from throughout the country, investing in collaborative work to be recognized at the global level.
Our presence at the fair calls us to look at, orient, and strengthen our creativity on a variety of fronts, based on a comprehensive plan for cultural development grounded in the Chile we want to show the world, looking at our skies and drawing routes like those that once guided sailors and navigators. The design of our stand, of the cultural program, and of satellite events that we project as part of the invitation will push us to bring together both the public and private sectors, as well as the best professionals from many fields, all with an eye to forming multidisciplinary teams of the highest order that will stamp on their projects the image of the creative, innovative, and forward-looking Chile that we want to showcase.
Finally, the wager we are making as Guest of Honor is centered on the strengthening of instruments that have already been developed to move forward in the translation and publishing of Chilean titles abroad. Frankfurt requires us to compile a diverse catalog to be displayed at the Fair, for which the evaluation, launch, and implementation of a Translation and Publication Nucleus will be of vital importance, as it will facilitate the circulation of works with potential for the sale of rights, even beyond 2027.
Goals
- Increase the translation and publication of works by Chilean authors abroad.
- Position literature and national knowledge production in international markets, with a focus on Germany.
- Strengthen the publishing sector’s capacities in terms of rights exportation.
- Promote sales of derivative rights for the adaptation of works to multimedia formats.
- Position the image of Chile and its culture.
- Showcase the diversity and potential of Chile’s creative industries.
Opportunities
- Formalize the Translation Support Program.
- Promote the exportation of Chilean works through translation currently financed by the Ministry through a digital platform.
- Strengthen existing programs and resources.
- Strengthen translation support through the creation of an interministerial program.
- Position literary and academic production.
- Encourage interaction between book professionals, as well as German and Chilean readers
- Coordinate participation with the Berlinale to promote the sale of works to be adapted into audiovisual projects.
- Promote translations in the German circuit of book fairs and festivals.
- Hold meetings between German and Chilean book professionals in common markets (Buenos Aires, Bologna, Frankfurt, Guadalajara, among others).
- Strengthen the presence of university publishers on the international scene, and promote partnerships for exportation.
Organization
Acceptance of the Guest of Honor invitation requires the Chilean government to activate a public-private narrative that must unite our country’s diverse voices into a single storyline.
The Ministry of Cultures, Arts, and Heritage (MINCAP) is the organizing body, through its National Council on Books and Reading (CNLL). Coordination is also supported by the work MINCAP has undertaken in collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, through the Cultural Affairs Division (DIRAC) and the General Directorate of Export Promotion (ProChile), already evidenced by Chile’s consistent participation in the Frankfurt Book Fair over the past nine years.
The goal is to establish Chile’s image and that of Chilean publishing in international circuits with a unified presence, combining the efforts, budgets, and expertise of public institutions in coordination with Chilean publishing groups and associations.
As such, the basic governance structure is based on the work of each of the key players, whose missions are highlighted below:
Ministry of Cultures, Arts and Heritage (MINCAP)
MINCAP’s main objective is to collaborate with the Head of State in the design, formulation, and implementation of policies, plans, and programs that contribute to promotion of culture and heritage in a harmonious and equitable manner throughout the national territory.
The Ministry is governed by the principles of cultural diversity, democracy and inclusion, cultural recognition of indigenous peoples, respect for creative freedom and social appreciation of creators, as well as recognition of regional cultures, respect for the rights of creators, and historical memory.
ProChile
This institution is part of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, dedicated to promoting Chilean goods and services in the rest of the world. Thanks to its broad international network, it also supports the dissemination of opportunities to invest in Chile and promote tourism.
Its efforts are aimed at contributing to the country’s sustainable development through the internationalization of Chilean companies and the promotion of goods and services. It also promotes inclusive foreign trade that incorporates gender perspectives in the diversification of exports, works to attract foreign investment and tourism, and bolsters the country’s image through a national and international network of specialized and committed people.
DIRAC (Division of Cultures, Arts, Heritage and Public Diplomacy)
DIRAC is responsible for disseminating, promoting, and enhancing Chile’s artistic and cultural activities abroad in accordance with the government’s foreign policy guidelines, to ensure Chile’s presence and participation in the major cultural circuits at the global level, such as contests, festivals, biennials, and fairs, among others.
Image of Chile Foundation
This is the agency of the country’s brand—Marca Chile—whose mission is to promote Chile’s image in the world, enhancing its recognition, reputation, and precedence in the international market.
Its mission is to promote Chile’s image internationally in order to bolster its competitiveness through brand management, depicting the country through the talent of Chilean men and women and their contributions to quality of life, sustainability, and care for local and global communities, inviting us to create a better future together.
Regarding the projected budget for the commitments that will be activated as of next year, our proposal is geared toward targeting and optimizing existing resources and raising new capital, including in the private sector. This will be managed through general coordination by MINCAP, which already has instruments of collaboration with its peers DIRAC and ProChile, both of which facilitate administrative management in Chile as well as in Germany.
