literature
Anniversary book fair with star guest Salman Rushdie
The writer Salman Rushdie has announced his presence at the book fair. photo
© Bernd von Jutrczenka/dpa
According to the German Book Trade Association, the industry’s sales fell last year. But interest in the trade fair is great.
It starts in two weeks (on October 18th). Frankfurt book fair. It is the 75th edition in the post-war period, but the tradition actually goes back to the Middle Ages. The book industry is not doing too well in its anniversary year. As the German Book Trade Association reports, sales in 2022 were 9.44 billion euros – 1.9 percent less than in 2021.
The best-known guest at the book fair is the British-Indian author Salman Rushdie, who was seriously injured in an assassination attempt in 2022 after years of persecution by Islamic extremists. At the end of the fair on October 22nd he will receive the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade. The guest country is the small, literary largely undiscovered Slovenia. Chancellor Olaf Scholz (SPD) has announced that he will attend the opening ceremony on October 17th.
According to those responsible for the trade fair, ticket sales were already higher than in 2019 two weeks before the start. At that time, more than 300,000 visitors came to Frankfurt. The number of exhibitors also increased again by ten percent. Last year there were around 4,000 from almost 100 countries. New features include a “Meet the Author” area where you can book an appointment in advance for autographs or selfies, and a special offer for families called the “Frankfurt Kids Festival”.
Frankfurt book fair