These authors will present their new books and will talk about the power of literature as a vehicle for social activism and political engagement, the role of language and the author’s role in culture and society. In perfect addition, Ken Follett will introduce his Friendship Tour.

With The Testaments, internationally acclaimed Canadian author Margaret Atwood continues the narrative of The Handmaid’s Tale 15 years later.

Maja Lunde, author of the worldwide bestsellers The End of the Ocean and The History of Bees, will provide a preview of Die Letzten ihrer Art (The Last of Their Kind), which will be published in November.

Politically engaged and prize-winning author Elif Shafak, who writes in Turkish and English, will present the novel Outrageous Voices. And Pulitzer Prize winner Colson Whitehead will appear with his new novel The Nickel Boys.

Events surrounding Britain’s impending departure from the EU have inspired British author Ken Follett to organise a one-of-a-kind literary event which he will kick-off at Bookfest: Together with bestselling authors Jojo Moyes, Kate Mosse and Lee Child, he will travel through Europe in November on ‘The Friendship Tour’ – taking a stance against Brexit.

On 17 October in the Congress Center of Messe Frankfurt, bestselling Norwegian author Jo Nesbø will also present his new book Knife. The event, which will be moderated by hr2 host Alf Mentzer; Oliver Mommsen, a former star of the popular German TV crime series Tatort, will give a reading from the German version of the book.

Known for his gripping series of crime novels featuring the detective Harry Hole, Jo Nesbø is one of Norway’s most successful crime novelists, with some 20 million copies of his books sold.