Search 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.

The Saturday of the fair is BOOKFEST digital day! On 17 October 2020, literature and culture fans all over the world will experience a virtual, moderated spectacle – one like never before – live in their own homes.

With Donna Leon, Wladimir Klitschko (digital), Elvira Sastre and many more  
In 2022, BOOKFEST will once again present a programme full of literature, inspiration and compelling encounters. The literature festival will offer more than 60 events featuring authors, poets, translators, illustrators and moderators at more than 20 different locations throughout Frankfurt. Over 20 publishing houses and 9 booksellers and cultural institutions will participate in the programme.

In 2018, BOOKFEST attracted 25,000 visitors with 77 events at 21 locations. In 2019, the festival is to take place again on a similar scale. What is new this year is that publishers and partners can submit their own programme ideas. The Call for Participation is open until 30 April 2019.

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.

October is all about literature and networking. Two locations beckon with an exclusive programme, and a whole neighbourhood celebrates on Saturday.

BOOKFEST - Frankfurter Buchmesse's international festival for literature, stories and ideas takes place from 10 to 14 October 2018.

Andreas Suchanek liest aus "Stolen Kisses" in der Buchhandlung "Andere Seiten" im Rahmen von Bookfest.

BOOKFEST city is the cultural festival for Frankfurt and its environs – with numerous events in the Rhine-Main region’s bookstores and libraries.

Tom Hillenbrand liest beim BOOKFEST city

In its second year, BOOKFEST once again has exceptional readings, concerts, parties and performances planned that will create a week-long festival atmosphere in Frankfurt - with Margaret Atwood, Ken Follett, Maja Lunde, Jo Nesbø, Elif Shafak, Colson Whitehead and many more.

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.

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.

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 BOOKFEST works as a venue for projects and productions around the Book Fair and awaits you with after-fair parties, networking, readings and performances. Book your ticket now.

There will be 80 events from 9 to 14 October as part of Bookfest, the festival of the Frankfurter Buchmesse

The bestselling Norwegian author Jo Nesbø will present his new book "Knife" (Penguin Random House, publication date: 9 July 2019) at BOOKFEST at Frankfurter Buchmesse (16-20 October 2019).

What’s new at Frankfurter Buchmesse 2022?

BOOKFEST digital with 1.5 million views on Facebook alone / Frankfurter Buchmesse 2020 – Special Edition reaches 200,000 people worldwide with various formats on buchmesse.de

Every book fair is different. To ensure you can keep track of everything that’s happening we’ve assembled the most important information here.