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uthors from the country'€™s literary scene hope that Indonesia'€™s participation in this year'€™s Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany could bring more attention to local writers.

As the guest of honor at the world'€™s largest book trading fair, Indonesia would be given a literary program focused on activities showcasing their literature and culture staged in a special exhibition hall.

The title was given to Finland last year and Brazil in 2013.

Culture and Primary and Secondary Education Minister Anies Baswedan said on Wednesday that the Frankfurt Book Fair, which will run from Oct. 13 to Oct. 18, could be used as an opportunity for Indonesia to showcase its rich literary scene.

'€œThis year we have chosen the theme '€™17,000 Islands of Imagination'€™ because Indonesia is a country built with an imagination based on different ethnic and religious groups,'€ Anies said after a meeting with organizers of the event on Wednesday.

Although Indonesia has many prominent writers, Anies said, very few were known abroad because not many works had been translated into languages other than English.

The ministry'€™s secretary-general, Ainun Na'€™im, said that the ministry hoped to present 2,000 books at the fair and was in the process of translating 150 titles into English and German.

Prominent Indonesian writer Goenawan Mohamad, who is head of the organizing committee, said that most works to be showcased for the event would be new works so that visitors and publishing houses could get a sense on the country'€™s growing literary scene.

Goenawan said that Lakshmi Pamuntjak and Linda Christanty would be some of authors featured this year.

He also said books showcased for the event would also include travel and culinary books and not only fiction.

'€œWhether or not the books showcased would be categorized as masterpieces is a subject of debate, but we want to show the world that there is more to Indonesia than just Bali, tsunamis and corruption,'€ he said.

In the build up to the Frankfurt Book Fair, Goenawan said 70 authors would take turns in attending the event between March and October.

Goenawan also said former president BJ Habibie had confirmed his attendance at the event and hoped that former president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and President Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo could also attend.

Meanwhile, the director of the Frankfurt Book Fair, Juergen Boos, said Indonesia was chosen as this year'€™s guest of honor because not much was known about the archipelagic country'€™s cultural, political and economic condition.

'€œWe expect you to be excited and to be yourself in the language of your authors. I'€™m expecting this openness and friendliness I have experienced the few times I'€™ve been to Indonesia,'€ he said.