Book Fairs

The Frankfurt Book Fair has updated their expectations for admittance to this year’s show. While subject to change given the prevailing state requirements in October, “currently [visitors] must show documentation confirming that they are fully vaccinated, or that they have been tested for Covid-19 and are negative.” (It doesn’t say anything about fairground employees, however. Approximately 39 percent of Germans are fully vaccinated now.) Separately, FBF also notes that, “There will be clear rules regarding face masks at the book fair. They will be adapted to the current situation and announced shortly before the event.”

Last week the traditional trade press ran credulous accounts of a persuasion campaign from the Frankfurt Book Fair, touting modest — fully cancelable — plans from primarily German and European exhibitors as a sign that, “Everyone is quite positive about the fair taking place in the autumn and we expect a lot of last-minute bookings.” Maybe not everyone? For many in our core audience, gathering together people from around the world to share the same indoor air face-to-face for three days — with no Covid test or vaccine requirement, and the added downside of the German public attending on Friday […]

If you love online book fairs, the next six weeks are your time to shine, including: May 23 – 28 Abu Dhabi International Book Fair May 25 – 27 US Book Show May 27 ABA Town Hall & Annual Meeting June 8, 9 Edelweiss Bookfest June 7 – 10 London Book Fair Conferences June 10  13 TorCon June 14 – 17 Bologna Children’s Book Fair June 21 – July 1 London Book Fair Online June 23 – 29 American Library Association Annual Conference and Exhibition

The London Book Fair has belatedly confirmed the conclusion already reached by its constituency: The live event, first rescheduled from early March to June 29 – July 1, will not be possible. Fair director Andy Ventris says in the announcement, “With the continued uncertainty around international travel and vaccination rollouts, it has become apparent that an in-person fair for 2021 would not be able to offer the full value to participants that we want to deliver.” At the same time, he says, “We want to do whatever we can to support the international publishing trade as we transition to a […]

As everyone keeps saying, until people go back to the office they are certainly not attending book fairs and conferences. The Bologna Children’s Book Fair acknowledged reality on Thursday by officially canceling the physical events scheduled for June 14 through June 17. Unlike London Book Fair organizers, the Bologna fair stayed true to their pledge to give participants at least two months notice. In November, they had rescheduled the gathering from April to June — shortly before the rescheduled London Book Fair. BCBF Director Elena Pasoli says in the announcement, “It is with a very heavy heart that we cancel […]