(September 28, 2009) The Frankfurt Book Fair (Frankfurter Buchmesse), the largest trade show of its kind, turned messy this year before it had even started. At the center of the brouhaha: China, the official guest of honor of the book fair 2009. Or, to be more precise, the row over the revoked invitation of two Chinese “dissidents,” Dai Qing and Bei Ling, to a symposium in the run-up to the Book Fair.

(September 24, 2009)The problems surrounding the Frankfurt Book Fair continue to grow, with the Chinese government refusing to allow author and political dissident Liao Yiwu to travel to attend the event in October.

(September 24, 2009) Doubts have arisen as to whether China is the right country to be the guest of honor at this year’s Frankfurt Book Fair

(September 22, 2009) The dispute between the organizers of the Frankfurt Book Fair and this year’s guest of honour at the event, China, has garnered a considerable amount of press coverage. Recently, two articles in the Wall Street Journal have responded to the dispute—first by highlighting the issues confronting Chinese officials in the build-up to an event that is based on free speech and cultural expression, and second by looking at the diplomatic implications of China’s decision to try and censor the proceedings.

(September 21, 2009) A dispute between China and organizers of the famed Frankfurt Book Fair threatens to overshadow the world’s premier publishing event and become a diplomatic headache for German Chancellor Angela Merkel ahead of elections later this month.

(September 16, 2009) A Chinese government official is expressing outrage at the organizers of last weekend’s symposium, which was part of the run-up to next month’s Frankfurt Book Fair, after dissident writers Dai Qing and Bei Ling were allowed to participate in the event.

(September 14, 2009) Statements made by Chinese dissident writers Dai Qing and Bei Ling at this weekend’s symposium for the Frankfurt Book Exchange prompted the official Chinese delegation to walk out. Juergen Boos, director of the book fair, says the appearance of the two writers was not communicated clearly to the Chinese officials.

(September 12, 2009) According to a Deutsche Presse-Agentur story, the Chinese government walked out of today’s symposium organized by the Frankfurt Book Fair called “China and the world – perception and reality” when dissident writers, Dai Qing and Bei Ling, showed up to speak their minds.

(September 12, 2009) The controversy surrounding this weekend’s symposium honouring China’s literature in the run-up to the Frankfurt Book Fair in October has escalated, with two Chinese dissident writers saying they plan to attend the event. Both Dai Qing and Bei Ling, whose invitations to the symposium were retracted by organizers after threats from the Chinese government, have now arrived in Frankfurt.

(September 12, 2009) Two Chinese dissidents caused a diplomatic incident at a symposium Saturday ahead of the Frankfurt Book Fair. Their appearance at the event was enough for the official Chinese delegation to walk out.

(September 11, 2009) A Chinese dissident said Friday she would describe ‘abuses of power’ by Chinese officials when she addresses a symposium in the German city of Frankfurt over the weekend.