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The annual Frankfurt Book Fair – the world's largest book fair, held in Frankfurt, Germany – has officially returned amidst a strong recovery in the publishing industry, driven by increased reader demand during the Covid-19 pandemic.
With thousands of publishers from many different countries participating, the Fair is considered the most important event for publishers to market their products year after year. However, due to the impact of the pandemic, this year's Fair is much smaller in scale than in previous years, with over 2,000 publishers from 80 countries.
Accordingly, the number of visitors to the fair is limited to no more than 25,000 people per day. They will also be required to present a Covid-19 vaccination certificate along with a negative test result, or a certificate proving they have recovered from Covid-19.
The director of the Frankfurt Book Fair, Juergen Boos, said that this year's fair could not proceed as normal due to the ongoing global pandemic. However, the event still provided an opportunity for the publishing industry to connect readers with authors.
In 2019, before the pandemic, as many as 7,500 companies from over 100 countries participated in the Frankfurt Book Fair, nearly four times the number in 2021.
The publishing industry thrived during the pandemic.
The Frankfurt Book Fair 2021 took place at a time when the publishing industry was recording positive revenue for the 18 months since the Covid-19 pandemic broke out, as many people around the world returned to a slower pace of life and turned to books more during social distancing.
Sales of printed books in the US increased by more than 8% in 2020, making it the most successful year for the US publishing industry in a decade. Meanwhile, in Germany – the largest book market in the European Union (EU) – online sales by bookstores increased by 20% to €2.2 billion ($2.5 billion). Sales of audiobooks and e-books also saw significant increases.
The Frankfurt Book Fair, held annually from October 19th to 24th, is not only a great opportunity for publishers and booksellers but also a project to spread the culture of reading to a wider audience.
“The pandemic crisis has shown us just how important and enduring books are in society,” said Karin Schmidt-Friderichs, President of the German Association of Publishers and Booksellers, at the opening of the Frankfurt Book Fair. “With strong commitments to book titles and great creativity, bookstores have still been successful in selling their products to the market, despite the impact of the pandemic which has forced many places to close.”
