Italian author Claudio Magris, pictured here in 2004, has written extensively about Germany, central Europe and his native Italy. (Eckehard Schulz/Associated Press)

Italian writer Claudio Magris has grabbed the top prize at the annual Frankfurt Book Fair for fostering European diversity in his works.

The 70-year-old scribe accepted the Peace Prize on Sunday at the fair, one of the largest in the world.

"We cradle ourselves in the illusion that we live without war because Europe's borders are now peaceful and largely open," Magris warned in his acceptance speech.

Magris, who is a professor of modern German literature at the University of Trieste as well as a columnist for Corriere della Sera and other European journals and newspapers, also received 25,000 euros ($38,500).

His best known works include Microcosms and 1986's Danube, which paints a picture of European history as it tracks the path of the Danube River.

Previous winners have included Orhan Pamuk, Vaclav Havel, Chinua Achebe, Octavio Paz and Susan Sontag.

The five-day book showcase, which opened on Wednesday, features 6,900 exhibitors from more than 100 countries.

The focus this year was on China and its literature.

With files from The Associated Press