The president of Ukraine, Volodímir Zelenski, has addressed the international book community, in a message recorded yesterday on video from his office and which was broadcast a few minutes ago at the Frankfurt book fair. Wearing a khaki shirt, Zelensky reminded the representatives of the publishing world from 29 countries who were present that "there are two countries absent here today, Russia and Iran, places where culture is destroyed as well as lives and essential goods, houses , energy sources... Everything is a target for your missiles. Russia exports death, not culture, like you."
Zelensky warned of the danger of "the loss of knowledge, of knowledge, that the crimes committed by Russia will be forgotten or unknown, which wants Europe and the world to stop paying attention to the war. But, if people lose consciousness, it's easily manipulated. If injustice is ignored, it can continue to be committed." On the other hand, he told the audience of publishers, booksellers, distributors, authors and agents, "Are you sure you're not going to fall victim to bullets? And killer drones? It's not a rhetorical question. It was Ukraine, but others will come later. Make it known that people are being killed and human rights are being violated. Publish books that break ignorance or simple indifference to what is happening here."
The person in charge of responding to Zelenski, in the main auditorium of the fair, before representatives of publishers' associations from 29 countries, was the Catalan Jesús Badenes, director of the Grupo Planeta bookstore division, who highlighted that the daily work of editors is "sharing ideas, enriching the lives of others with the respectful contrast of perspectives and beliefs". In fact, he has emphasized that "freedom and democracy, as we know them today, are a product of thought and writing", which have been spread by publishers. And he has quoted, in Spanish, Don Quixote: "Freedom, dear Sancho, is one of the most precious gifts that the heavens gave men; the treasures that the earth holds nor the sea conceals cannot be equaled with it; freedom, as well as for honor, one can and must venture life".
The president of the Ukrainian publishers, Aleksander Aphonin, also spoke at the event. The Frankfurt fair has called on European publishers to translate books by Ukrainian authors to support the country's struggling publishing industry. A crowdfunding campaign has also raised 52,000 euros so far to print books for Ukrainian children.
