FRANKFURT

With over 75 years of history and tradition, the Frankfurt Book Fair (Frankfurter Buchmesse – FBM) is undoubtedly the largest and most influential international forum for the publishing industry in the world. It is not just a trade fair, but a large-scale cultural and economic hub where over 70% of the world’s copyright and licensing deals are negotiated.

The history of the Frankfurt Fair dates back to the Middle Ages, when the city became an important trading center for manuscripts. After World War II, in 1949, it was rebuilt and quickly established itself as a leading international forum, initially focusing on German book publishing, and then rapidly internationalizing.

The Frankfurt Fair is held every autumn and attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors and thousands of exhibitors from over 100 countries. The first few days are dedicated entirely to professionals (publishers, agents, translators, librarians), while the last days are open to the general public. One of the most distinctive events is the selection of a Guest of Honour, who receives special attention and presents his literature and culture with a large-scale program. In addition, the fair is a place for the awarding of the prestigious Peace Prize of the German Book Publishers and Book Distributors.

Bulgaria traditionally participates in the Frankfurt Fair with a national stand, organized most often with the support of the Ministry of Culture and other institutions. This participation is strategically important for the promotion of Bulgarian literature abroad.

The national stand presents the latest and most emblematic Bulgarian books, catalogs, as well as works by authors and translators. The main goal of the Bulgarian delegation is to initiate meetings with foreign publishers and literary agents in order to encourage translations and the publication of Bulgarian titles in other languages. The fair is also used to present government policy in support of translations (e.g. funding programs).

Procedures for professional participation

The Frankfurt Fair is primarily a B2B (business-to-business) event for professionals. Participation in the trade fair is mainly done in the following ways:

As an Exhibitor:

Registration: Publishers, agencies and other companies submit an official registration (usually online) to rent a stand or work space. Early registration deadlines and discounts are usually in the autumn/winter of the previous year.

Types of participation: Ready-made system stands (System Stands), space for individual stand construction, or smaller formats such as a Workstation or space in Group exhibitions can be rented.

Specialized Centers: For professionals dealing only with rights and licenses, there is the Literary Agents & Scouts Center (LitAg) and the Publishers Rights Center (PRC), where tables are available for hire for meetings. Access to these areas is strictly regulated.

As a Professional Visitor:

Access to the fair during the professional days requires the purchase of a trade ticket, which is intended for people professionally involved in the publishing industry.

Applications for Awards and Fellowships are made under separate programs, which usually have their own deadlines. For example, the fair organizes professional development programs such as the Frankfurt Fellowship and the Invitation Program, the aim of which is to help publishers from emerging markets to attend and create international contacts. Applications for these are made using separate online forms and deadlines, which are usually in the spring.

Author: Nikoleta Gologanova