In-person, digital and hybrid, with certificates and testing — the world’s largest book trade fair plans to “re:connect,” that is, open up to visitors again this year. Canada is the guest of honor.
From October 20-24, the Frankfurt Book Fair is on again, organisers said this week. The fair’s 73rd edition will be a hybrid event with digital presentations and in-person attendance, with personalised tickets, reports DW.
“It will be smaller in scale and more focused,” Juergen Boos, the fair director, told PW in June.
“Right now we have commitments from all the major German publishers and 95% of the European national stands, as well as Scandinavia,” Boos said.
A number of virtual events are also being planned and the city of Frankfurt will again host author events for the general public.
To date, exhibitors from 60 countries have signed up. Canada, which canceled in 2020, is guest of honour again in 2021, under the motto Singular Plurality – Singulier Pluriel.
The fair will feature exhibits in Halls 3, where the German stands are, as well as Halls 4 and 6 for the international guests. Canada, the guest of honour, will offer stands from Quebec, for French literature in Hall 4, and Lives Canada Books, covering English literature, in Hall 6.
Details depend on how the coronavirus pandemic continues to unfold, and on the security and hygiene regulations in force in Germany in October, but it is already clear that on site, the distribution of people will be monitored by video to prevent large groups from gathering. The number of participants is restricted, the stands will be set up further apart.