About

This Blog Fest is a collaborative web initiative to highlight Kiwi and German writers in 2012, leading up to the Frankfurt Bookfair in October, where New Zealand is the Guest of Honour.

Together, we aim to cross boundaries through writing from various perspectives and languages, to stretch across landscapes and timezones, to share experiences both common and unique to these countries and the people from there and living there. If you are a Kiwi or German living anywhere in the world, or if you are from somewhere else but have settled in New Zealand or Germany, we want to hear from you.

At this site we’ll host a weekly countdown to the Bookfair and a feature / interview series. Parallel to the features, there will be a monthly Blog Carnival.  In all of these, you’ll find an eclectic mix of writing and experience. You’ll find German, English and Maori. You’ll find published writers and writers just getting started.

And you’ll find yourself. See HOW TO JOIN for details on how to connect and get involved.

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About the Frankfurt Book Fair

The Frankfurt Book Fair is the biggest book and media fair in the world – with around 7,400 exhibitors from over 100 countries. The history of the Frankfurt Book Fair dates back to the 15th century, when Johannes Gutenberg first invented movable type – only a few kilometres down the road from Frankfurt.

In 2012, the Frankfurt Book Fair will take place from 10 to 14 October. The guest of honour is New Zealand. Previous guests of honour include Iceland (2011), Argentina (2010), China (2009), Turkey (2008) and many more, dating back to Latin America in 1976.

You can find out more about the Frankfurt Bookfair 2012 here —  und hier.

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The Beginning of this Aotearoa Affair

This celebration of Kiwi and German writers has its origins in a cross-cultural connection that began when two writers met online. Dorothee Lang and Michelle Elvy first met over their separate writing and editing projects, as Dorothee (in Wernau at the Neckar) joined Michelle’s 2010 writing challenge, 52|250 A Year of Flash, and Michelle (in Opua in the Bay of Islands) joined Dorothee’s literary journal, BluePrintReview. They soon discovered common ground (literally, as Michelle had lived many years in Germany) through language and travel, poetry and photography. And of course books.
For more about both, visit the page the editors.

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So here we all are. Writing around the world, from Kiel to Kaitaia.

Join the Blog Fest and share your stories!