The Leipzig book fair opened to the public Thursday, after Hungarian-born historian Gyorgy Dalos received an award for promoting understanding between Europeans through his work, according to dpa. During the next four days, around 100,000 visitors are expected in the eastern German city to hear authors read from their works and browse new books and their electronic equivalent, the ebook. Dalos was presented late Wednesday with the 15,000-euro Prize for European Understanding, in particular recognition of his most recent book, about the end of dictatorship in eastern Europe. Dalos was praised as a "central European who is at home in the European spiritual history." The author divides his time between Budapest and Berlin. Contenders for the 45,000-euro Leipzig Book Fair prize, to be awarded Thursday, include 18-year-old German author Helene Hegemann, who was accused of plagiarism after lifting large chunks of text from a blogger in her debut novel, Axolotl Roadkill. The Leipzig book fair is expected to draw 2,100 exhibitors from 39 countries, and 1,500 authors - including the 2009 Nobel literature prize winner, German-Romanian author Herta Mueller, and her predecessor Guenther Grass. The four-day fair dates back to the 15th century, when the book trade began to flourish in the city of Leipzig.
