The Hessian Ministry of Culture is elevating queer visibility at the Frankfurt Book Fair. The Hessian pavilion is running under the motto “Hesse — Queer Reading” and aims, according to Minister Timon Gremmels (SPD), to “make the diversity in literature and in our country visible.”
“This is especially essential in a time when, in other countries, books about queer children, racism, or families that do not fit the traditional image are disappearing from school libraries. There is again a strong political current in this country aiming to dictate which life forms are normal and which are not,” Gremmels said at the fair’s opening on Tuesday evening.
The ministry has this year launched a new scholarship for “diverse, queer and age-appropriate stories” called “Color Pencil.” “The goal is to develop books for children and teens in which diversity in all its facets shapes the themes and the main characters,” the announcement stated. On Thursday, the first recipient of the scholarship will be announced at the fair.
