US Historian Jill Lepore To Speak At The Opening Press Conference

US historian and author Jill Lepore will speak at the Opening Press Conference of Frankfurter Buchmesse (October 7–11,2026). Lepore is one of the most influential voices in American historiography. In her books and essays, she examines the history of American democracy – its promises as well as its failures.

The year 2026 marks the 250th anniversary of the signing of the American Declaration of Independence. To mark the occasion, Lepore has published her latest book “We the People: A History of the U.S. Constitution”, which is due to be published in German on 2 April. In it, she traces the origins and development of the American constitutional idea: from the early debates on freedom and equality to today’s debates on democracy and civil rights.

Frankfurter Buchmesse’s Opening Press Conference will take place on Tuesday, 6 October 2026 in Frankfurt.