Frankfurt, Sharjah Book Fairs Impacted by Israel-Hamas War

Minor Detail, a historical novel about the rape and murder of a Palestinian girl in the Negev Desert during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War, has been widely praised; originally published in Arabic, the English-language translation by Elisabeth Jaquett and published by New Directions was shortlisted for a National Book Award in 2020 and longlisted for the International Booker Prize in 2021. Litprom was founded in 1980 as a “Society for the Promotion of Literature from Africa, Asia, and Latin America” by journalists, publishers, translators, professors, church employees, development aid organizations, and the Frankfurt Book Fair. Since 1984, Litprom has operated a program to promote the translation of fiction works from Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Arab world and, since 2017, from Turkey. Some in the business have been rankled at comments, noting that Boos has a greater influence on the organization than he has suggested, as its site notes: "Litprom is headed by the president of Frankfurt Book Fair, Juergen Boos, underlining the strong connection to and within the German book market." Abu Dhabi–based publication the National quoted from a letter addressed to Boos by Arab Publishers' Association president Mohammad Rashad, which expressed regret "at the biased and unjust stance towards the tragic events in the region," adding: "We certainly denounce any attack on a civilian from any side, but viewing the case from a single angle and accepting this injustice that the Palestinian people have been subjected to for decades is a big mistake. [...]your statements don't reflect at all the exceptional Arab relationships that have developed over the years between Frankfurt Book Fair administrations and Arab publishers.