Love, Drama and the Burning Questions of Our Time Take Centre Stage at Gothenburg Book Fair 2025

What does education mean in the age of TikTok? How can libraries continue to safeguard democracy? And what should we do with each other? Gothenburg Book Fair 2025 presents a programme that brings together the most urgent contemporary issues with passion, performing arts, and international star power. This year’s themes – Love and Lust and Drama – run like a red thread through conversations on relationships, identity, theatre, and the written word’s journey to the stage.

Among this year’s many highlights are the presentation of the Mermaid Award (Sjöjungfrun) to acclaimed Nigerian author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, a rare on-stage conversation between Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Tony Kushner and Swedish author and performer Jonas Gardell, and a live recording of The New York Times’ acclaimed podcast Modern Love. The fair also features the groundbreaking format Couples Therapy Live, where real couples undergo therapeutic sessions in front of an audience, led by professional psychologists. In addition, the newly introduced Drama Stage (Teaterrummet) offers a dedicated space for live readings and short performances exploring the power of dramatic writing. Finally, the Text & Music strand brings together celebrated voices such as Thomas Stenström, Björn Ulvaeus, Silvana Imam and Carola Häggkvist, highlighting the artistic interplay between lyrics and literature.

“In a time marked by anxiety and polarisation, the Book Fair aspires to be a space for both reflection and emotion. We want to understand the world – which is why we’ve invited more international guests than ever before. Together with a constellation of Swedish authors, researchers, dramatists, critics, teachers, journalists, politicians, readers, and young voices, they will create a four-day celebration of the written and spoken word. This year, the written word also comes alive on stage through our major focus on drama – something that will make the 2025 fair truly special,” says Oskar Ekström, newly appointed Director of Gothenburg Book Fair.

This year’s press conference is held at Dramatenbaren in Stockholm, framed by a dramatic reading of letters between Agneta Stark and Sven Lindqvist, performed by actors Livia Millhagen and Rebecka Hemse. The letters, published as a book, capture a passionate correspondence begun in the early 1980s – a love that defied convention and captured an era.

Leadership Transition

This will be the final Book Fair under the leadership of Frida Edman, who will take on the role of CEO at Gothenburg City Theatre, Backa Theatre and Stora Teatern in August. She hands over to Oskar Ekström, former Programme Director at the Book Fair since 2018.

“Leading the Book Fair has been one of the most meaningful tasks of my career. I am proud of what we’ve accomplished. It feels wonderful to pass the baton to Oskar – a creative and confident leader – who, together with a strong team, will guide the Fair into the future,” says Frida Edman.

Illustrations for the 2025 Fair have been created by Swedish author and dramatist Liv Strömquist, interpreting both themes as well as the fair’s essentials. At the centre stands the Fair’s symbol – the reading mermaid – who has recently stirred public debate about body, art, and female expression following restriction by Meta.

Facts – Gothenburg Book Fair Seminar Programme 2025

• 327 seminars
• 903 speakers – a new record
• 159 international authors, of which 95 are non-Nordic from 35 countries – also a record
• 32 seminars under the theme Drama
• 47 seminars under the theme Love and Lust
• 24 August Prize winners featured in the programme

Drama as a Distinct Literary Artform – A Nordic-Baltic Focus at Gothenburg Book Fair 2025

The Drama theme at Gothenburg Book Fair 2025 highlights dramatic writing as a distinct literary genre – one in which words are not only read but brought to life on stage. Through conversations, readings, and short performances, the world of drama is made more accessible to a wider audience. By bringing the performing arts into the heart of the fair, the programme explores how playwrights use their craft to illuminate the major questions of our time. At the same time, a new generation of dramatists takes centre stage, offering fresh and innovative ways of expressing the contemporary human experience.

This theme has been developed in close collaboration with theatre organisations from across the Nordic and Baltic regions, led by Colombine Theatre Agency, Dramatikkens hus (Norway), TINFO Theatre Info Finland, and Estonian Theatre Agency (Estonia), in partnership with the Latvian Theatre Workers Union and the Lithuanian Theatre Information Centre, with additional support from Danske Dramatikere (Denmark) and Performing Arts Iceland.

“The Drama theme is one of the largest gatherings of contemporary drama in the Nordic and Baltic regions ever, thanks to the collaboration with the Book Fair and a wide range of partners in Sweden, the Nordics, and the Baltics. We look forward to sharing the power and richness of contemporary drama,” says Hedda Krausz Sjögren, CEO of Colombine Teaterförlag.

For the first time in the history of the Book Fair, a dedicated Drama Stage (Teaterrummet) has been created. This new venue offers space for the rhythm, language, and presence of drama to unfold through readings, performances, and in-depth conversations. Playwrights, directors, and audiences come together to explore where drama intersects with social debate, philosophy, and poetry. Across four vibrant days, sixteen acts will be performed – ranging from classical monologues to contemporary stagings, including Hamlet and Antigone’s Legacy as well as new voices from Norway, Finland, Estonia and other Baltic Sea region countries.

Among this year’s thematic highlights are international names such as Tony Kushner – Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright behind Angels in America, invited in collaboration with Göteborgs Stadsteater (Gothenburg City Theatre) – and Roland Schimmelpfennig, alongside prominent voices from the Nordic and Baltic region, including Sara Stridsberg, Farnaz Arbabi, Laura Ruhonen, Monica Isakstuen and Piret Jaaks. In a unique encounter, Kushner and Jonas Gardell will engage in a live discussion on political writing and the role of drama in turbulent times.

The programme explores key topics such as exile in drama, generational shifts in Swedish theatre, the ethical boundaries of documentary theatre, and the role of both humour and grief on stage. One event highlights Sara Stridsberg’s play Svindel, with a reading by Ingela Olsson, followed by a conversation with the author herself. The Royal Dramatic Theatre (Dramaten) will present excerpts from Hamlet on the very day of its Stockholm premiere, while Athena Farrokhzad’s Antigone’s Legacy will anchor a longer Saturday session on classical influence in contemporary drama

Drama’s power to reflect society and current affairs continues with Business as Usual, an Estonian play about money laundering and journalism, followed by a discussion featuring playwright Mehis Pihla, researcher Karin Svedberg Helgesson, and journalist Axel Gordh Humlesjö. In the dynamic Drama Slam, a new play will be created live on stage by Lucia Cajchanova, Kristian Hallberg, Maria Maunsbach, and Christoffer Mellgren, blending playfulness with sharp contemporary insight.

Directors’ perspectives are also in focus. The seminar The (Un)Holy Text delves into the interpretation of scripts for the stage, featuring voices from across the Nordic countries. The adaptation of novels for theatre is addressed in The Necessary Slaughter, a discussion with playwrights from Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Norway on how to distil prose into performance. Additionally, Stina Ekblad will present new Finnish drama and reflect on language, tone, and translation.

With newly written plays at its core, international guests from countries including Portugal, Belgium, and Italy – among them Jacopo Fo, son of Nobel laureate Dario Fo – and renowned companies such as Unga Klara, Backa Teater, and Göteborgs Stadsteater (Gothenburg City Theatre), Gothenburg Book Fair 2025 demonstrates that drama is more vital and vibrant than ever.

Love and Lust in All Its Many Forms

The second central theme of Gothenburg Book Fair 2025, Love and Lust, transcends genres and delves into the most fundamental human desires – from the romantic to the erotic, from the relational to the societal. With 47 seminars dedicated to the theme, the programme explores literature, psychology, philosophy, sexuality, food, and relationships. It moves between light-hearted romance and darker explorations of desire: from genre fiction with Julia Quinn and Sarah MacLean, to literary reflections on longing with Hanna Johansson and Linnea Ernst. Abram Martina Lowden joins Johanna Schreiber, Saskia Vogel and others to discuss literary depictions of sex, while Sarah MacLean and Simona Ahrnstedt examine the romance genre, banned books, and women’s reading habits. André Aciman, author of Call Me by Your Name, speaks about passion and his latest work Roman Year. Lena Andersson presents the third novel in the Ester Nilsson series, with her trademark analytical precision.

Bestselling Bridgerton author Julia Quinn joins genre colleague Sarah MacLean and BookTok star Ayman Chaudhary in the seminar Forbidden Temptations, where they explore the power and appeal of romance – as well as its ongoing struggle for recognition, its vulnerability to censorship, and the global movement advocating for its legitimacy.

Visitors will also have the rare chance to experience a live recording of the acclaimed New York Times podcast Modern Love. Based on personal essays about love, loss, and human connection, the stories are performed by actors and artists and then discussed in a broader context. Past participants have included Daniel Radcliffe and Kate Winslet. In Gothenburg, host Anna Martin is joined by Swedish actress Bianca Kronlöf for a conversation that deepens the universal narratives around love’s place in everyday life and literature.

In the innovative format Couples Therapy Live, audiences can witness real-life couples undergoing therapeutic interventions live on stage. Led by licensed psychologists Susanna Tagesdotter Hagstrand and Tania Neuman, the sessions offer a candid look at relationships in motion. Susanna is also the author of Relationskuren, a three-week programme for couples therapy.

Other seminars explore the complexities of love and desire from diverse perspectives. In Genres of Love – Knowledge, Desire, Enchantment, poets, literary scholars, and novelists discuss how love manifests across literary forms. Questions of representation and inclusion take centre stage in The Representative Romance Genre – or Not?, where Tia Williams, Hannah Bonam-Young, and Ayman Chaudhary reflect on the genre’s role in promoting diversity.

In What Is Love? What Was Love?, philosopher Anders Cullhed, historian Magnus Västerbro, and cartoonist Liv Strömquist take audiences on an intellectual journey through the shifting meanings of love across history. In Being a Father, Kalle Lind and Nisse Hallberg explore the emotional landscape of fatherhood, while the seminar The Lonely Victims of Growing Gender Gaps looks at sexual loneliness and longing in today’s society. Finally, in Coming Out Never Ends, Lars-Åke “Babsan” Wilhelmsson, Sumeet Singh Patpatia, and Leia Rubin Polite discuss identity, courage, and the journey of embracing one’s true self.

Focus on Professional Development – From Library Fair to Cross-Sector Knowledge Hub

Since its beginnings in 1985 as a dedicated library fair, the Gothenburg Book Fair has evolved into one of Sweden’s foremost arenas for professional development within early childhood education, schools, and libraries. Each year, teachers, school leaders, and librarians from across the country gather to be inspired, share experiences, and deepen their knowledge through a rich and multifaceted training programme.

For the library sector, the fair offers a wide range of seminars reflecting the crucial role libraries play in democracy, lifelong learning, literacy promotion, and information literacy. The programme is aimed particularly at librarians, decision-makers, and professionals working within the field, but also appeals to a broader public interested in civic education, freedom of expression, and the role of public discourse in society.

Educators are offered an equally strong and focused School Track (Skolspåret), with seminars addressing both day-to-day classroom practice and the broader mission of schools. Topics include reading and language development, student wellbeing and motivation, school improvement, digitalisation, civic engagement, and inclusive teaching. The programme targets teachers at all levels, principals, school developers, learning leaders, school librarians, and other professionals in the education sector.

With contributions from both practitioners and researchers, the Gothenburg Book Fair – in combination with its broader programme – provides an inspiring meeting place for continuing education, exchange of ideas, and professional insight.

Libraries as Democratic Cornerstones

The role of libraries as democratic hubs is explored in a series of seminars focusing on issues such as freedom of expression, disinformation, and access to literature. Participants in these conversations include Anna Troberg, Karin Linder, Barakat Aldammad, and Melody Farshin, among others, addressing the future, threats, and opportunities for libraries.

Schools at the Centre of Today’s Urgent Debates

Some of today’s most pressing societal issues converge in the school context – from the reading crisis and AI to literary canon debates, inclusion, and democracy building. This year’s School Track gathers educators, researchers, principals, policymakers, and passionate civil society voices in fifteen seminars. Among the featured participants are Sweden’s Minister for Education Lotta Edholm, Nadim Ghazale, Niklas Natt och Dag, Cecilia Düringer, Agneta Gulz, Gulan Avci, and Peter Apelgren, along with many more.

Text and Music

Text and Music builds on the success of last year’s debut Music Track, expanding the meeting point between songwriting, literature, and performance. This year, songwriters, artists, and poets come together for conversations, readings, and staged expressions that reveal the interplay between text and melody.

Björn Ulvaeus reflects on the art of songwriting, Carola Häggkvist shares experiences from a life in the spotlight, and Silvana Imam discusses her authorship, identity, and activism. Siw Malmkvist, currently in the spotlight with a new personal biography, joins a discussion on career, courage, and memory.

Together, they demonstrate how literature and music can intertwine in powerful and lasting ways. Additional conversations explore the meaning of lyrics in music and how music amplifies storytelling – with contributions from Frida Hyvönen, Bell, Imenella, Thomas Stenström, Anna Järvinen, and Annika Norlin.

Children and Young People – Stories that Matter

In the Children and Young People track, some of the most beloved authors, picture book creators and illustrators gather to explore topics ranging from creative craft and superhero storytelling to war and contemporary issues. Among the contributors are Jenny Jägerfeld, Christina Wahldén, Annika Leone, Bettina Johansson, Elias Våhlund, Charlotte Cederlund, and Lisen Adbåge – voices who inspire, challenge and entertain young readers through imagination and honesty.

#BookTok – A New Generation of Readers

The #BookTok phenomenon has transformed how young people discover, discuss, and engage with books. Last year, BookTok stars Jack Edwards and Ayman Chaudhary appeared in a packed seminar at the Book Fair – and this year, they return as programme hosts.

Among their guests are Julia Quinn and Sarah MacLean, with whom they discuss romance fiction and banned books, and Fredrik Backman, speaking about his new novel Mina vänner (My Friends). In another highly anticipated event, Ayman Chaudhary – creator of the world’s largest BookTok account – leads a conversation with fellow British book influencers Dakota Warren, Ben Mercer, and Eden Victoria, joined once again by Jack Edwards. Together they reflect on their careers, reading habits, and journeys as writers, giving insight into a powerful new literary movement led by readers themselves.

Spotlight on Current Affairs

Gothenburg Book Fair 2025 gives centre stage to the urgent issues of our time through a contemporary programme that aims to deepen understanding, not simplify complex topics. Themes such as the climate crisis, digitalisation, defence, disinformation, Sweden’s global image, and the future of education weave through the programme, connecting voices from literature with researchers, journalists, and critical thinkers.

Star-Studded Programme Highlights

Gothenburg Book Fair 2025 will welcome an impressive line-up of international and Swedish stars – authors, playwrights, and leading public intellectuals. With a record-breaking 900+ participants in the seminar programme and a strong international presence, this year’s edition will be one of the most global and diverse in the fair’s history. 159 international guests from 33 countries, including 95 from outside the Nordic region, mark a new high.

Among the international headliners are Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, recipient of the 2025 Mermaid Award, and Dan Brown, appearing with his latest novel The Final Secret, the sixth instalment in the Robert Langdon series. Julia Quinn, the romance queen behind Bridgerton, engages in discussions about censorship and banned books, while Sarah MacLean shares the stage with Simona Ahrnstedt for a cross-genre masterclass. Other major voices include André Aciman (Call Me by Your Name), Marie NDiaye, Eduardo Halfon, Susan Abulhawa, Lizzie Doron, Judith Hermann, David Baddiel, Chigozie Obioma, and Bora Chung, in conversations spanning identity, exile, politics, humour, queer perspectives, and the many faces of love.

On the Swedish stage, audience favourites such as Fredrik Backman (Mina vänner) and Lena Andersson (returning to Ester Nilsson in Män och kvinnor) return, alongside Alex Schulman, Bea Uusma, Elin Cullhed, Björn Borg, Ann-Helén Laestadius, Magdalena Andersson, Lina Wolff, Lydia Sandgren, Kristian Luuk, Johanna Schreiber, Åsa Linderborg, Björn Gustafsson, Maria Maunsbach, Ulf Danielsson, Mats Strandberg, Björn Ranelid, Lars Lerin, Camilla Läckberg, and many more.

Several of this year’s thematic tracks also feature outstanding international and cross-genre voices. Within Love and Lust, speakers include Saskia Vogel, Tia Williams, Hannah Bonam-Young, and Tony Tulathimutte, exploring desire, relationships, and romance literature’s place in public discourse. In the Drama track, guests include Roland Schimmelpfennig, Tony Kushner, Jonas Gardell, Jokum Rohde, Pipsa Lonka, and Natalka Vorozjbyt. The international programme further highlights contemporary literature from Israel, Ukraine, Ireland, Norway, Finland, and Québec, with strong voices such as Lee Yaron, Julia Iljucha, Michel Jean, Vigdis Hjorth, and Pajtim Statovci.

Crimetime – Where Crime Fiction Meets Society

As always, Crimetime at Gothenburg Book Fair 2025 is the premier meeting place for fans of crime fiction. Starting Friday afternoon, the programme presents a robust selection of authors – from psychological thrillers and true crime to noir and suspense. International stars meet Swedish favourites to discuss everything from murder mysteries to moral grey zones.

Highlights include Denise Rudberg and Sofie Sarenbrant discussing motivation, transformation, and the future of the genre. In Crime Queens and Their Blockbuster Series, Viveca Sten and Anna Jansson share insights from their bestselling long-running series that have become both books and TV successes.

Crimetime also explores the role of relationships in crime fiction. In Emotions Under Investigation, Mattias Edvardsson, Simona Ahrnstedt, and Linda Hedmark explore the dramatic power of love in suspense literature. In the genre-crossing conversation Between Horror and Suspense, John Ajvide Lindqvist, Mats Strandberg, and Johan Theorin examine the interplay between fear and thrill.

The crime festival also delivers international flair: Yrsa Sigurðardóttir (Iceland) and Peter James (UK) meet in British Crime and Nordic Noir – a conversation on style, process, and the evolution of the genre.

The Mermaid Award 2025 – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

The Mermaid Award was established in 2024 as part of Gothenburg Book Fair’s 40th anniversary. It is awarded annually to an active fiction writer whose work has resonated deeply with Swedish readers. The 2025 recipient is Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, the Nigerian author whose voice has become one of the most influential of our time. A feminist icon and multiple award-winner, Adichie is best known for works such as Half of a Yellow Sun and Americanah. She will participate in a special seminar on Saturday, 27 September at 13:00.

More Exciting Features at Gothenburg Book Fair 2025

Book Fair by Night returns for the fourth year in a row! On Friday 26 September at 19:00, the Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre’s main hall transforms into a vibrant nightclub with four stages and a dedicated performance space – offering a unique blend of party and culture that lasts well into the early hours. The full programme will be announced on 20 August.

Upper Secondary School Day, first introduced in 2022, welcomes 1,200 students from both vocational and academic programmes in Sweden and parts of Norway for a full day of curated content at the Book Fair. The initiative is organised in collaboration with the Swedish-Norwegian Foundation and Voksenåsen Cultural Centre.

Lower Secondary School Day, launched in 2023, expands significantly this year, with 800 Year 9 students invited to participate in an artistic photography project inspired by the theme of love. The project is carried out in collaboration with the Hasselblad Foundation.

Librarian Lunch – Spotlight on Autumn Publishing: In partnership with Svensk Bokhandel, the Book Fair invites 400 librarians to an exclusive lunchtime seminar focusing on the 2025 autumn publishing season. Publishers will present highlights from their autumn catalogues, including new voices and eagerly anticipated titles. This is a unique opportunity to delve into upcoming releases, network with peers, and gather inspiration for acquisitions and programming.

For more information, please contact:
Maria Rogstad, Head of Communications, Gothenburg Book Fair
+46 722 119 339 | mn@bokmassan.se

About Gothenburg Book Fair

Gothenburg Book Fair is the largest cultural event in the Nordic region and takes place from 25–28 September 2025 at the Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre. Our vision is to stir people’s souls by offering the most thought-provoking experience of the year. By promoting reading, education, and the role of literature in society, we strive to make the world a better place.

The 2025 themes are Drama and Love and Lust.
Learn more at www.bokmassan.se

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