The Bookseller.com

2nd December 2008

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Finland accuses Frankfurt in mobile row

07.03.08

This year's Frankfurt book fair has become mired in controversy over allegations that Finland's invitation to be a future guest of honour country has been withdrawn amid an international business row, reports the Guardian. A surprise announcement was made this week that Iceland had been chosen to be the theme country in 2011 - a slot the Finns had thought was theirs.

The decision followed growing anti-Finnish sentiment in Germany over Nokia's decision earlier this year to pull its factory out of Bochum in the Ruhr valley in favour of a move to lower-cost Romania, leading to a loss of more than 3,000 jobs. Iris Schwanck, the director of Finnish Literature Exchange, who was responsible for pushing Finland's bid, said the Frankfurt fair's director, Jürgen Boos, had admitted to her that the unfavourable attitude in Germany towards Finland made it difficult to pick it as the guest of honour country. But a spokesman for the fair denied the decision was connected with Nokia.

Guardian

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