In-person exhibition on the fairgrounds / Hybrid programme
As the leading trade fair for the international publishing and content industry, Frankfurter Buchmesse (20-24 October 2021) is further developing its in-person events and digital offerings. The 73rd edition of the industry’s largest gathering is set to take place on the fairgrounds in Frankfurt, subject to the pandemic’s further progression and the health and safety regulations in effect in October. The on-site fair will be supplemented by digital and hybrid offerings, along with a programme of events in the city. Frankfurter Buchmesse 2021 is being supported by funds from the German government’s NEUSTART KULTUR programme. Registration for Frankfurter Buchmesse is still open.
In-person fair with exhibitors from currently 60 countries
Publishers, agents, service providers and industry-adjacent institutions from 60 countries have registered for an exhibition stand at the book fair to date. The regions of North America, Latin America and Asia will be represented in the exhibition halls with national stands, as will the major European book markets, including France, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Scandinavia and Central and Eastern Europe. English and French-language publishing houses from Canada will also be welcoming visitors at collective stands on the fairgrounds. Virtually all of the major German publishing groups and the entire range of German-language literary and non-fiction publishers have registered to take part in Frankfurter Buchmesse 2021. In addition, the exhibition halls will feature numerous publishers from the areas of art and children’s books, religion, education and academia.
Health and safety plan for Frankfurter Buchmesse
To ensure the safety of all participants, the Frankfurter Buchmesse team has developed a comprehensive health and safety plan for the fair, in keeping with the Covid-19 regulations issued by the state of Hesse and in close cooperation with the local health authorities and Messe Frankfurt. Admission to the fairgrounds will only be possible with a personalised ticket. Visitors will only be permitted to enter after they demonstrate that they fulfil the applicable requirements; currently, this means they must show documentation confirming that they are fully vaccinated, or that they have been tested for Covid-19 and are negative. The generous layout of all levels in the exhibition halls and the limited total number of participants will help prevent crowding. The distribution of visitors across the fairgrounds and the adherence to social-distancing requirements will be monitored through video feeds. Additional staff will be deployed in the halls to implement the health and safety plan and to ensure that all safety measures are being adhered to. Information on the plan will be continually updated on the Frankfurter Buchmesse website: https://www.buchmesse.de/en/safety-2021. In addition, the book fair team will support exhibitors as they plan their presence at the fair by providing detailed recommendations and individualised advice.
Guest of Honour Canada
Using the motto “Singular Plurality – Singulier Pluriel”, Canada, this year’s Guest of Honour at Frankfurter Buchmesse, is organising the physical Guest of Honour pavilion on Level 1 of the Forum. In parallel, a hybrid programme will feature numerous Canadian authors, illustrators and artists. Events related to Canada’s role as Guest of Honour are also planned for the ARD Book Fair Stage; exhibitions and readings will be held in the city of Frankfurt. The list of new releases for Frankfurter Buchmesse currently includes over 380 titles by Canadian authors or about Canada. https://canadafbm2021.com
Programme on the fairgrounds
Preparations for the hybrid programme are well underway: Together with media partners ARD, ZDF, DER SPIEGEL, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and many other institutions, Frankfurter Buchmesse is planning a combination of on-site events broadcast live, events in the city of Frankfurt, and digital offerings. In addition, Frankfurter Buchmesse is working with ARD and numerous distribution partners to develop a digital strategy for increasing its reach and visibility.
Numerous authors have already confirmed that they will appear at Frankfurter Buchmesse 2021: Helen MacDonald, Bülent Ceylan, Colm Tobín, Johanna Adorján, Elke Heidenreich, Prof. Dietrich Grönemeyer, Daniela Krien, Janina Kugl, Eva Menasse, Emine Sevgi Özdamar, Sven Regener, Edgar Selge, Aminata Touré and many others, all of whom will present their new publications at the fair.
The ARD Book Fair Stage will again be situated in the Festhalle, where panel discussions and book presentations will take place under the motto “How do we want to live? Our stage for the future”. The focus will be on much-discussed topics such as justice, sustainability, diversity, housing and the world of work, as well as education and digitalisation. All events on the ARD Book Fair Stage will be streamed live on the Frankfurter Buchmesse website.
The autumn book season’s most relevant authors will take a seat on the Blaues Sofa (Blue Sofa), again located in Hall 3.1. As in the past, the week of events will be curated by partners Bertelsmann, ZDF, Deutschlandfunk Kultur and 3Sat and livestreamed at www.dasblauesofa.zdf.de.
