Book Fair news ticker
Fascinating discussions, book presentations and unexpected discoveries: voices and impressions from Frankfurt Book Fair.
Creative workshops
With 20 young designers from Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and Poland, the digital project group of the European Union, Europeana, is tinkering away in a workshop developing digital apps. The motto: “The only limit is your imagination, not resources.”
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500th anniversary of the Reformation
General theological tonic required? “What Martin Luther would prescribe today” is obtainable at the booth of the Association of Protestant Booksellers and Publishers. Over one hundred books on the subject of Luther are on show here, but not only that, also games, DVDs, calendars – and, of course, everyday pieces of advice packaged as “Lutherol”.
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Shared horizon
A walk through the pavilion of the guest of honour, Flanders & the Netherlands, is like taking a look out to sea. Sand, waves and the horizon have been printed onto semi-transparent lengths of material that represent the coastline that the Netherlands, Flanders and Germany share. The exhibited books on the back of these lengths of material shine through lightly and their colourful covers resemble beach stalls in the distance. It is only natural that visitors make themselves comfortable in the deckchairs and allow themselves to drift off for a moment. You can almost hear the roar of the sea in your ears.
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Learning German – in Arabic
This year, many publishers of language-teaching books are presenting study books for German in the German and Arabic languages at eye level, the very best height to catch the attention of passing booksellers. The new Germans are changing the book market.
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Success through soccer
Only a few metres away, visitors can cuddle up in football seat cushions. The background is somewhat more serious: since 2007 the Frankfurt Book Fair Literacy Campaign has been helping children and young adults to learn German through a project called Football Meets Culture – with a successful combination of tutoring and football training. Many well-known sportspeople will appear on the podium and talk about their careers and professional sport. The author Philipp Winkler presents Hool, his sensational first work.
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Fun facts
From the life of a banknote: the German Bundesbank regularly shreds banknotes if they are too worn or damaged. Visitors can take packages with 3,000 to 4,000 euros home with them – unfortunately, only as confetti.
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Seeing how it’s done
Do you want to experience how a magazine is produced? That is possible in the pavilion for guest of honour Flanders & the Netherlands. Dutch illustrator, cartoonist and designer Joost Swarte and Belgian author and illustrator Randall Casaer are leading a real-time editorial board here every day at the Book Fair. Four illustrators and authors of graphic novels are developing the magazine Parade in an open office – from the first sketch to the printed magazine. With a little luck you may even manage to get hold of a copy.
