Frankfurter Buchmesse to receive 2022 Julius Campe Prize

Frankfurter Buchmesse is the recipient of this year’s Julius Campe Prize, awarded by publisher HOFFMANN UND CAMPE. 

The prize is given to individuals and institutions that have rendered outstanding services in the fields of literary criticism and literary communication. The winner receives 99 bottles of fine wine and a facsimile of Heinrich Heine’s »Französische Zustände« (French Affairs), published by HOFFMANN UND CAMPE. 

The award ceremony will take place at Frankfurter Buchmesse, in the Frankfurt Pavilion. 

Tim Jung, publishing director of HOFFMANN UND CAMPE: 

»In 1949, 205 booksellers gathered in St Paul’s Church in Frankfurt for the first German book fair of the post-war era. Drawing on a tradition of trade fairs going back centuries, they founded today’s Frankfurter Buchmesse, which brings the international book industry to Germany and, at the same time, transports German literature out into the world. The book fair stands for the diversity and freedom of literature and for the importance of reading. Despite the restrictions imposed by the Covid pandemic over the last two years, it remains the world’s most important forum for literature and its protagonists. At the same time, it’s a marketplace, a showcase, a stage and a setting for debates, which the fair has also reliably generated on its own. 
As an international event, moreover, Frankfurter Buchmesse draws crucial attention to books, that silent commodity. Simultaneously, it is a profoundly democratic event whose authentic spirit is shaped by those who participate in it. Frankfurter Buchmesse transforms stories, ideas, arguments and opinions into a social experience and is thus of outstanding importance when it comes to communicating and understanding the world’s literatures.« 

HOFFMANN UND CAMPE is awarding the 2022 Julius Campe Prize to Frankfurter Buchmesse for its services to literature. 

Juergen Boos, Director of Frankfurter Buchmesse: 

»Frankfurter Buchmesse is greatly honoured to receive the Julius Campe Prize, especially after two years of a pandemic that made holding the fair close to impossible. On behalf of our entire team, I would like to thank Tim Jung, Publishing Director of HOFFMANN UND CAMPE, and Thomas Ganske, Publisher and CEO of Ganske Verlagsgruppe. Everyone at Frankfurter Buchmesse views this honour as acknowledgement of the work we do. The Julius Campe Prize recognises individuals and institutions that have ‘rendered outstanding services to literary criticism and literary communication’. Frankfurter Buchmesse has been fulfilling this task in a variety of ways for almost 75 years – through activities at numerous international book fairs, through sponsorship programmes, and through the activities of Litprom and LitCam. The award aptly honours the special role Frankfurter Buchmesse plays for the German and international book and media industry.« 

The recipient 

Frankfurter Buchmesse is the international publishing industry’s largest trade fair and a cross-sector meeting place for individuals and organisations from the fields of education, film, games, academia and specialised information. Since 1976, one of its focal points has been the annual Guest of Honour country, which presents its book market, literature and culture to the public in a variety of ways. Frankfurter Buchmesse organises the appearance of German publishers at international book fairs abroad and hosts trade events in key global markets throughout the year. Frankfurter Buchmesse is a subsidiary of the German Publishers & Booksellers Association.  

Presentation speech: TBA 

The prize 
The prize is named after Julius Campe (1792–1867), one of greatest publishers in German history. As the discoverer of Heinrich Heine and a courageous promoter of the authors of the “Young Germany” movement, he became the epitome of the idealistic publisher who combines the joy of literary discovery with social commitment. 

Past recipients of the Julius Campe Prize include: 

2019: Mara Delius 
2018: Christian Petzold 
2017: State Minister Monika Grütters 
2016: The Literature House network 
2015: Denis Scheck 
2014: The booksellers cooperative 5 plus 
2013: Felicitas von Lovenberg 
2012: Petra Roth 
2011: Roger Willemsen 
2010: Elke Heidenreich 
2009: Elisabeth Niggemann 
2008: Wendelin Schmidt-Dengler (posthumously) 
2007: Klaus Reichert 
2006: Michael Naumann 
2005: Jan Philipp Reemtsma 
2004: Joachim Kaiser 
2003: Heinrich Detering 
2002: Martin Walser