Press releases

In 2020, the THE ARTS+ program features many exciting speakers and topics. In addition, the Frankfurter Buchmesse Film Awards Jury has just announced the shortlist for 2020.

The Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Heritage, announced Canada’s virtual programming for this year’s special edition, in a video message today. The minister was joined virtually by the Honourable Stéphane Dion, Canadian Ambassador to Germany and Special Envoy to the European Union and Europe, Juergen Boos, President of the Frankfurter Buchmesse, and Caroline Fortin, President of Canada FBM2020.

Like no other happening in the publishing industry, Frankfurter Buchmesse leads the way in activating global networks, opening up future markets and putting both sector-specific and socio-political issues on the agenda. That will be truer than ever in 2020, the year of corona, as demonstrated by the fair’s thousands of digital exhibitors from approximately 85 countries (as of 20 September 2020). TAlong with this, the book fair will offer ca. 70 hours of professional programme with acclaimed guests, including James Daunt, Ananth Padmanabhan and Jenny Fry and will be a celebration of literature online and in Frankfurt with Karin Slaughter, Elizabeth Gilbert, Irvine Welsh and many more. A press kit with further infomation is available on the press material page.

Every October, culture fans celebrate together at BOOKFEST. This year, the popular festival will take place physically as BOOKFEST city and, for the first time, virtually as BOOKFEST digital – allowing an even bigger and more colourful celebration of stars from the international cultural and literary scene. BOOKFEST city (14–18 October) will offer almost 80 events over all five days of the fair at many locations throughout Frankfurt. BOOKFEST digital will light up screens on 17 October from 10.00 am to 10.00 pm, with approximately 28 hours of highly diverse programming on two channels. Admission or access to both formats is free of charge.

Freedom to publish, diversity in the book industry, European Accessibility Act and Global Publishing Industry Report 2020 / With: Prix Voltaire laureate 2020 and speakers from IPA, WIPO, FEP, European Commission and Amnesty International

Frankfurter Buchmesse and the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), the UN agency specializing in promoting innovation and creativity, are partnering to ensure that intellectual property issues are respected and promoted in the creative sector and in the international media and entertainment industries.

New online formats: Frankfurt Conference, Market Insights, Curated Networking, The Hof / Speakers include: James Daunt, Ananth Padmanabhan, Jenny Fry, Andrew Nurnberg, Anna Soler-Pont, Magnus Nytell, Videl Bar-Kar, Kristiina Hormia-Poutanen

Booksellers from all over the world can now apply to participate in the new digital programme Frankfurt International Booksellers offered by Frankfurter Buchmesse (14–18 October 2020). Organised by Frankfurter Buchmesse with financial support from Germany’s Federal Foreign Office, the programme is designed for booksellers who stock foreign-language titles in their bookshops. Applications being accepted until 28 September 2020.

Frankfurter Buchmesse (14-18 October 2020) will take place this year: with an extensive digital programme for publishing professionals, exciting online events at BOOKFEST digital for an international readership, as well as live events in Frankfurt on the ARD Book Fair Stage in the Festhalle and some 80 events as part of BOOKFEST city. The book fair’s traditional on-site exhibition is being cancelled this year due to the corona pandemic, since current travel restrictions would prevent numerous country stands from being realised as planned. In addition, the quarantine requirements that will be enforced on 1 October 2020 make it virtually impossible for European exhibitors and trade visitors to participate.

The submissions period for the Frankfurter Buchmesse Film Awards is open: Until 28 August 2020, publishers and production and media companies may submit their proposals for the Film Awards for the categories "Best Literary Adaptation", "Best Adaptation for Children or Young Adults" and "Best Illustrated Book on Film".

The new Frankfurt Audio white paper “Audiobooks: Taking the World by Storm” by audio expert Linda Lee provides facts and figures on current developments in the audiobook market around the globe.

Winners are five young female publishers with books, podcasts and events / No international Wildcard awarded due to travel restrictions

Renowned German publishers Aufbau, C.H.Beck, Klett-Cotta and Suhrkamp will be taking part in Frankfurter Buchmesse (14-18 October 2020) with a joint stand.

Frankfurter Buchmesse 2020 – Special Edition
Digital offers for exhibitors, trade visitors and literature lovers / Federal government provides funding / Press briefing on 14 July

German Minister of State and Culture Commissioner Monika Grütters is supporting the Frankfurter Buchmesse with 4 million euros from the country’s NEUSTART KULTUR stimulus package.

Originally planned for 2020, Canada’s presentation as Guest of Honour at Frankfurter Buchmesse (14–18 October 2020) has been postponed until 2021 due to the changed conditions caused by Covid-19.

Call for Ideas – Publishers and partners are invited to help shape the Frankfurter Buchmesse virtual programme | Ideas can be submitted via www.bookfest.de/en/digital until 15 July 2020 | Participation is free.

The Marché du Film of the Cannes International Film Festival takes place online | Frankfurter Buchmesse enables 11 publishing companies and agencies from five countries to take part in the virtual Shoot the Book! programme by SCELF and Institut Français on 25 and 26 June 2020

AUMA: Trade fairs in Germany will take place as of September.

The Frankfurt Book Fair New York/German Book Office just announced it is kicking off a campaign to showcase new German children's books.

Frankfurter Buchmesse 2020 will take place. A decision to that effect was made today by the Supervisory Board of BBG (Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels Beteiligungsgesellschaft / German Publishers & Booksellers Association). The book fair is planned to be held on the fairgrounds, throughout the city and virtually.

The closed Facebook group "Pitch your CIP" now supports publishing and content professionals from the creative industries in trading in Creative Intellectual Property (CIP) and building partnerships.

This year, Frankfurter Buchmesse (14-18 October 2020) will once again be putting audio content, services and products into the spotlight with Frankfurt Audio and is giving away three free 30-minute stage slots on the Frankfurt Audio Stage on the trade visitor days of the fair.

We understand that planning such as this falls into an uncertain time period and so we are therefore extending the submission deadline for the BOOKFEST Call for Participation to 31 May 2020. Publishers and partners are invited to submit their ideas for the festival of Frankfurter Buchmesse.

Young publishing professionals from the areas of children's and young adult publishing, such as publishers, literary agents, editors and rights and licensing managers, are encouraged to apply before 30 April 2020.

The application period is now open for BOOKFEST 2020, which will once again take place as part of Frankfurter Buchmesse (14-18 October 2020). Publishers and partners are invited to submit their ideas by 30 April 2020.

Activists from publishing, edtech start-ups, etc. can compete for a Wildcard until 31 May 2020.

Andrew Keen, bestselling author, "The Antichrist of Silicon Valley", and one of the first to point out the dangers of the internet for culture and society, will speak at the 2020 Berlin International Film Festival, Berlinale, as part of the European Film Market’s Horizon programme.

Participation in a two-day programme (18–19 May 2020) at the Cannes Film Festival / Application deadline 14 February 2020

On February 24, at the "Books at Berlinale" pitching event, a co-operation with Frankfurter Buchmesse, the Berlinale Co-Production Market will once again present twelve exceptional works of literature that are particularly well-suited to adaptation for the screen. "Books at Berlinale", which has been placing a spotlight on recent publications and bestsellers every year since 2006, gives film producers the opportunity to come into contact with renowned and internationally active publishers and literary agents who hold the film rights to the books in question.