Stars like Paul Beatty, Dörte Hansen, Otto Waalkes and Eckart von Hirschhausen made big appearances, while Frankfurter Buchmesse took on a stronger political stance than ever before. The Weltempfang was dedicated to the topic of “Democracy and Engagement” and the fair’s #onthesamepage campaign included an event programme focused on human rights – all of which spoke in favour of diversity and of the assurance of human rights within our society.

Frankfurter Buchmesse once again proved itself in 2018 as the largest international fair for the content industry. And as a meeting place where opinions, discussions and polarisation are not just permitted, but very much desired.

For the 100th anniversary of its independence, Georgia presented its unique culture at Frankfurter Buchmesse. The country presented its stories and literature with the motto “Georgia – Made by Characters”. And it was a success: the German-language book market saw more than 150 new releases during the Guest of Honour year. 70 German-language publishers added titles on Georgia to their programmes. But the spotlight was also shared by the Georgians who gave rise to all those works: the authors and artists themselves.

The unique Georgian alphabet, which consists of 33 curvy characters, is considered UNESCO World Heritage and was used to create their logo for the fair. The heart of their exhibition was the approx. 2 300 square metre Guest of Honour Pavilion, whose design was inspired by the shape of Georgian letters.

Best-selling authors and the stars of literature industry – from Norwegian children’s book authors to Haitian lyricists. Frankfurter Buchmesse has the right match for all fans of literature. And it wasn't just the general public who got what they wanted: authors and other big names of the publishing industry enjoyed fruitful exchanges and made new contacts.

German fans were excited to congratulate comedian Otto Waalkes on his 70th birthday and to get tips from Dr. Eckart von Hirschhausen on how to live the second half of their lives to their fullest. In addition to a range of VIP authors and publicists, like Deniz Yücel and Marc-Uwe Kling, there were many film and TV stars at Frankfurter Buchmesse 2018, like Benno Fürmann and Michelle Hunziker.

German President, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, opened the new home of storytelling: Frankfurt Pavilion – the new landmark in the middle of the Agora. At the opening conference, prize-winning author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie held a guest speech and the Global Illustration Award (GIA) was given out for the third time. It also featured the Ursula Lounge, which brought sci-fi fans from around the world together on 450 square metres.