AILAP hosts panel discussion on the Frankfurt Book Fair and its boycott

On Thursday, 28 August 2025, the Ateneo Institute of Literary Arts and Practices (AILAP) hosted a panel discussion titled "Pagtapos ng Frankfurt: Isang Pag-uusap" at CTC 413 at the Loyola Heights Campus. The forum, which was hosted in partnership with Ateneo's Department of Filipino, Baybayin Ateneo, and Ateneo 4 Palestine, invited multiple voices to give their thoughts on the Philippines' participation in the Frankfurt Book Fair and whether the fair should be boycotted due to its support of Israel.

The Frankfurt Book Fair is the largest trade fair for books, media, rights, and licenses in the world, attracting over 4,000 exhibitors and 215,000 visitors annually. For 2025, the Philippines will be the guest of honour, and Filipino books and publishers will take center stage at the event, hopefully allowing them greater exposure to the global market.

The controversy surrounding the event comes from its 2023 decision to call off the awarding of its LiBeraturpreis award to Palestine-born novelist and essayist Adania Shibli for her novel Minor Detail. This award is given annually to female authors from Africa, Asia, Latin America, or the Arab world.

According to the LitProm, the association that hands out the prize, it postponed the awarding due to the "politically charged" atmosphere in Germany. LitProm also stated that it would hold the awarding at a later date and that the decision was made with the consent of Shibli. 

Shibli's literary agency, however, stated that the decision was made without the author's consent. In addition, no alternative date has yet been set for the awarding.

The postponement of Shibli's award has led many authors and even publishers to call for its boycott. This includes Filipino authors, publishers, and cultural workers who've called for the government to withdraw the country's participation as the guest of honor, or at least for those invited to join the contingent to decline to participate.

It was this topic that was discussed during Pagtapos ng Frankfurt: Isang Pag-uusap. The panelists were Ms Camille Abaya, Marketing Head of the Ateneo de Manila University Press and faculty at the Department of Interdisciplinary Studies; Mr Karl Castro, independent artist, freelance book designer, creative director, as well as lecturer at Ateneo de Manila, and Research Head of ebrutalistpilipinas; Mr Adam David, Komix Artist and Co-Founder of Better Living Through Xerography (BLTX), and faculty at the Philipine High School for the Arts; Mr Lance Romulo Dayrit, poet and translator of Palestinian poetry, Makata ng Tao (Ingles) ng Gawad Digmaang Rosas, and Gawad Monico Atienza Awardee; Mr Jerry Gracio, writer, editor, and cultural worker who is a SEAWrite Awardee and former Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) Commissioner; and Mr Amado G Mendoza III, of Kyoto University's Center for Southeast Asian Studies, and faculty at the University of the Philippines - Diliman's Departamento ng Filipino at Panitikan ng Pilipinas, who joined via Zoom.

John Carlo S Gloria, instructor at Ateneo's Department of Filipino served as moderator.

The group comprised people who were both for the boycott as well as those who were pushing through with attending the Frankfurt Book Fair.

Issues brought up included that of complicity and whether joining the Frankfurt Book Fair made the Philippines complicit in Israel's actions in Palestine.

Another point was whether the Philippines' participation constituted a waste of taxpayers' money. Those against it (and for the boycott) argue that the money spent by the government on the project could have instead been spent locally. One suggestion was that the money could have been used to translate Filipino literature into the country's various regional languages and dialects, making them accessible to more readers.

Additionally, there was the argument of whether or not actually going could allow for more good than harm, considering that the Philippines' participation as the guest of honour is most likely pushing through.

Beyond all this, and in line with the title of the event, the panel discussed what needs to be done after the Frankfurt Book Fair.

In his summary of the discussion, Mr Mendoza emphasized that the discussion on Israel and Palestine shouldn't end once the Frankfurt Book Fair is over. To this end, he commended the work of people like Mr David and Mr Dayrit in translating work, especially those of Palestinian authors, not only into Filipino but also into other vernacular languages spoken in the country. Doing so allows more Filipinos to learn about what's happening in Palestine, allowing them to go beyond the typical point of view of most Filipinos, which, as Mr Mendoza pointed out, tends to be pro-Israel.

Following the discussion, the panelists were presented with certificates of appreciation by Dr Mark Benedict F Lim, Director of AILAP. In addition, certificates were also given out to the presenters and partners who had set up booths to share and sell books and other literature in support of Palestine at the venue.