Destination Frankfurt, again

It is tag-lined as 'the place to be' and it surely is so. The Frankfurt Book Fair's (FBF) 67th edition has opened today and kept up to all the promises and expectations of being the biggest trade fair for the international publishing industry with 7,300 exhibitors from more than 100 countries, around 275,000 visitors, more than 4,000 events, 9,000 journalists and over 1,000 bloggers continuing to come together.

14 Oct 2015 | By PrintWeek India

Yesterday, on 13 October, it all began with Juergen Boos, director of the Frankfurt Book Fair, talking about freedom of expression at the opening press conference. Following him was Salman Rushdie's address. 
 
Reiterating the need for freedom of expression, Rushdie said, "'The guardians of freedom of speech are to be found in publishing. We are the story-telling animals and it is through story that we understand ourselves."
 
Even while this transpired, Iran withdrew its participation in protest of Rushdie's participation. Another update is the cancellation of an event which was to be hosted by Sahitya Akademi. This is because of the withdrawal of writers who have returned their Awards. Today seven authors including Pragnya Daya Pawar, have turned in their awards.
 
On a positive note, there are business opportunities, not just for book publishers, but also for printers, as the fair remains the best place for showcasing products and making contacts with publishers around the world.
 
“In case of printers, the deals may not be done at the fair, but the network is expanded and in a way is paved for future communication. All the more, it’s important for a prospective customer to see, touch and feel the quality of products that a printer has the capabilities for – no instant communication technology can make that possible. It’s also a place to learn about the developments or the marketplace and all of this happens within five days in one place,” said Prashasti Rastogi, director, German Book Office, New Delhi.
 
Eight Indian companies are present at the Frankfurt Book Fair this year. They are All About Book Publishing, the Intergra Software Services, International Print-o-Pac, Little Kingdom, Manipal Technologies, Mehta Publishers, Nutech Print Services and Replika Press.