The Frankfurt Book Fair kicked off on Tuesday, and it was clear from the beginning–and even from the days leading up to it–that the unofficial theme would be the crisis in the Middle East. At the opening press conference on Tuesday morning, held in a larva-shaped pod in the fairgrounds courtyard, keynote speaker journalist Gaia Vince talked about climate catastrophe and global migration, but the first English language question from the press was about the controversy surrounding Palestinian author Adania Shibli. Since organizers announced last Friday that a celebration for Shibli’s book had been cancelled by the prize organizers and […]
