Dear Reader,
One of Hungary's best known writers, Géza Gárdonyi, said, "Spending money on a book is seemingly money thrown out - thrown out like sowing seed." This year a country where reading is a cult welcomes book lovers from around the world. For centuries it has been customary in Hungary to enthuse over a book, to mention the name of literary figures or characters from tales in everyday conversation, and to queue for hours for a novelist's latest work.
In Hungary even children's books outgrew themselves. For many long years our authors were not able to speak freely in an adult manner due to political censorship, so they concentrated their talents and thoughts in the most wonderful children's books. We had, and have, great writers and superb illustrators. Book publishing in Hungary today is striving to build a bridge between these two groups creating value, to revive the halcyon days when they existed and created side by side.
It is a great privilege for us, as the guest of honour at the prestigious Bologna Children's Book Fair, to be able to present the best of the Hungarian book trade - our artists and illustrators, our writers, our publications, and publications still in the making. Naturally, we cannot show everything in a palpable form, so we have called on the web for help.
I trust, however, that whoever clicks here will be curious about us, and will also come to look for us in the fair's halls and at the numerous points around the city where our musical, film and literary events are being held.
Dr András Bozóki
Minister of Culture
Hungary - An Open Book
One hundred years ago Hungarian children's and youth literature came of age.
One hundred years ago Ferenc Molnár's novel, The Boys of Paul Street, which has since ranged the world, was published. At the time the author could little suspect that his gripping, touching story set in the heart of Budapest would become the Hungarian book translated into the most foreign languages.
Today's writers have a rich intellectual heritage behind them when they set out on their own paths. In the colourful world of contemporary Hungarian children's culture with its diversity of voices there is something attractive for everyone from narratives based on folk traditions to grotesque nonsense stories, from the lyric to the humorous in the most varied shades imaginable.
At this year's festival in Bologna the very best contemporary Hungarian illustrators and writers seek the attention of book lovers. Their works enhance the palette of European children's culture with colours yet unknown to others, and stand their ground in any part of Europe or indeed any other continent.
"Long live the ground!" shouted the Paul Street boys, as they tried to ward off the tempestuous attack on their playground by their rivals, the Red-shirts.
"Long live tales!" - we cry out, as we try to ward off the tempestuous attack on our playground by unimaginative commerce.
Here we are with pictures, books and picture-books. Please dip into us a little.
It's not hard at all - we are open. Hungary - an open book.
Pál Békés
writer
President of IBBY Hungary
30 Illustrators - 30 Books
Illustration is one of the most elementary means of human expression, so it is no surprise that it has a strong tradition in Hungary as well.
Truly great works are always created by outstanding graphic artists and painters.
In Hungary the pictures by the famous 19th-century painter, Mihály Zichy, which he created to illustrate the ballads of János Arany are still well-known today, and just as popular are the works of the early 20th-century Art Nouveau masters of Gödöllő, Sándor Nagy and Aladár Kőrösfői Kriesch. In the 1960s the great generation of Hungarian illustrative art became active. This was when the magical-surrealistic illustrations by Tibor Csernus, the cheerful compositions of classic tenor by Károly Reich, the works rich in detail and combining elements of folklore and surrealism by Ádám Würtz, as well as the expressive, bold-lined illustrations by János Kass, to cite but a few, were created. Very often it is precisely the illustrations that make a publication immortal.
The individual forms of expression, the variety of techniques and the openness to new possibilities show how multi-faceted Hungarian illustrative art is. The present middle and young generations of artists have had the benefit of the sure footing of the professional skill and high artistic standards of their forerunners, which won and is still winning great acclaim for contemporary Hungarian illustrators. The invitation for the Hungarian illustrative trade to be the guest of honour at the Bologna Children's Book Fair is itself one example of such recognition. At our exhibition 30 artists will represent the different generations of illustrators with 10-15 original illustrations and a "mock-up picture book" compiled of selected works.
The presentation of Hungarian illustrators in Bologna invites visitors to venture into "Fantasy Land", unfolding before them this special world of hidden secrets that has no bounds.
Győző Sárkány
Graphic Artist
President of the Society of Hungarian Illustrators
