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angela merkel
November 2009 
Controversy as Frankfurt Book Fair Fetes Beijing
Albert
Chancellor Angela Merkel will give the opening speech and certainly adress some points the Chinese polticians are not so amuzed about. However honoring, and hosting and presenting the literature and culture of this great , rich and fascinating country.
Controversy as Frankfurt Book Fair Fetes Beijing
By Wolfgang Höbel and Andreas Lorenz
A striking woman in an elegant black blouse sits in a bulky chair in the lobby of the Beijing Kempinski Hotel. Her name is Tie Ning and she is the chairwoman of the Chinese Writers' Association, which means that she represents a total of 8,920 state-supported authors.
"Censorship?" she says. "What censorship? Artists enjoy great liberties in China." She adds: "We are enthusiastically looking forward to the open exchange of opinions that will take place in Frankfurt."
This could be a merry book party indeed. With an official delegation of exactly 100 authors, along with over 1,000 functionaries and publishing managers, the Chinese are appearing at the world's largest book fair as this year's guest of honor. Organizers in Frankfurt are promising a "critical dialogue" at the event.
In Beijing, says the stern-looking Tie, who has apparently never heard that approximately 600 books are banned in China each year, "one must comply with the laws and regulations. It is not allowed, for example, to offend national minorities. That is all." Then Tie straightens her back, adjusts the large silver brooch on her blouse, and shows a rigid smile.
Special info from buchmesse.de:
Access: Public
If it is controversial, then it must be the perfect choice!
As I read, “The Frankfurt Book Fair is a critical marketing event for the launching of books, but it is also an important event to facilitate the negotiation of the international sale of rights and licences. Visitors take the opportunity to obtain information about the publishing market, to network, and to do business. Publishers, agents, booksellers, librarians, academics, illustrators, service providers, film producers, translators, printers, professional and trade associations, institutions, artists, authors, antiquarians, software and multimedia suppliers all take part in the events and business climate of Frankfurt Book Fair. In 2006, more than 11,000 journalists from 66 countries reported on the fair which brought together 7,272 individual exhibitors from 113 countries, and more than 183,000 trade visitors. (Wow!)
During the fair the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade is given, during a ceremony in the Paulskirche. The prize has been awarded each year since 1950.
The fair is also the birthplace of the Bookseller/Diagram Prize for Oddest Title of the Year, a humorous award which is given to the book with the oddest title.”
I felt to myself - another Peace Prize! Goodness!
Amazing this Nobel Prize - So this man created weapons used in the First World War and he accumulated so much money out of the First World War that now the Nobel Prize is being distributed only from the interest on Nobel's money. It interested me somehow that money made from the blood of millions is now given as a Peace Prize. Interesting to me.
Back to the Book Fair - this would be an event not to miss!
You must tell us if you go!
sincerely,
Che
Che, I would like to go but unfortunately a brutal of amount of working and writing is ahead of myself.):) The Germany Special has to be done. The first ever German speaking Ning group about human emergence and spiral dynamics to be launched and of course making the living:)
I will carefully watch whats happening at the book fair. At London Integral circle too we discussed this summer new devlopments of publishing and journlaism, media and mass communication.
Something will emerge from it next year. As always, the right things will happen in the right moment in the right form. Between the right people. This is the way the new comes into the world. And as always, wildcards, black swans and LOTS of surprises will play a BIG role.
Kairos, as the Greek called it.
Until then, nonstop working , hard and smart is the ideal combination:):) And LOTS of radical humor too.
Best,
Albert
“The aim of art is to project an inner vision into the world, to state in aesthetic creation the deepest psychic and personal experiences of a human being. It is to enable those experiences to be intelligible and generally recognized within the total framework of an ideal world.
The key to immortality is first living a life worth remembering.” Bruce Le
Wishing you much success and energy for this most precious time!
Sincerely
Che
Yes, and every time and culture produces its own new art. We spoke earlier this year about really new new litersature.
The book fair itself is like a beehive. For example see here:
Whats New at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2009?
I am personally more curious about the level of consciousness displayed. Of course it cannot be forced in a kind of masterplan. Brian Eno and Kevin kelly discussed the picture of scenius and epicenters.
This beeing said such an event can be celebrated in its own way.
Post festum it will be time to have a look what as realy new, what emerged in the cultural perceptions of the contributing countries.
Indeed the deepest psychic and personal experiences and perspectives are the magmatic fuel of every art. Maybe he time has not arrived yet to crystallize this new glue in the authors and publishing houses:):)
Thank you for your good wishes!
Best,
Albert