As we have already told you, the Frankfurt Book Fair is to take place from 14 - 18 October 2020 despite Corona. Under special conditions, of course: In addition to the slimmed-down and spatially expanded physical event on the fairgrounds and many events in the city, the Book Fair has also developed an extensive virtual program. It is co-created by publishers and can be used by trade visitors and literature enthusiasts all over the world. The free use of the digital platforms and services of the Frankfurt Book Fair 2020 is made possible by a grant from the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and the Media (BKM), Minister of State Monika Grütters.
This year, it is even clearer than ever: only together can we overcome this crisis. That also applies to an event like the Frankfurt Book Fair. Director Juergen Boos says: "We thank Minister of State Monika Grütters for her support and are delighted that, thanks to the funding, we will be able to make our digital offerings available free of charge this year. The Frankfurt Book Fair 2020 will be a very special Fair; an ‚Special Edition'. Digital events and services are no substitute for face-to-face meetings, but in a year when exhibitors and trade visitors from large parts of the world are unable to travel due to the current travel restrictions, digital formats are essential. Under the motto "All together now", we want to bring together publishers and partners, culture enthusiasts and trade participants* from all over the world in virtual space and offer the opportunity to exchange ideas and celebrate authors* and stories."
The Frankfurt Book Fair website www.buchmesse.de forms the platform on which all digital formats - for the trade audience and those interested in culture - are offered. During Book Fair week, a huge digital event will take place here as well as on the Frankfurt Book Fair's social media channels and on many partner channels under the hashtag #fbm20. All events will be available in the online events calendar at www.buchmesse.de. Publishers can design their digital presence for both trade audiences and culture fans on the Book Fair website, in the online exhibitor catalogue, event calendar and on special theme pages, and submit digital event ideas for BOOKFEST digital. They will also have access to a rights trading platform and matchmaking tool.
The trade offer also includes a digital conference and trade programme during BookFest week, also available at www.buchmesse.de. From mid-August, companies and trade visitors* can register to take part in the digital fair via an online form at www.buchmesse.de; the Call for Ideas for BOOKFEST digital is already open and ends on 15 July 2020. Culture and literature fans can register from September in the events calendar at www.buchmesse.de to find out about the programme.
Digital offerings for the public
The Special Edition of the Frankfurt Book Fair 2020 includes an extensive digital programme for the public, much of which will also be broadcast in the media. One highlight is celebrating its premiere in the Festhalle at Messe Frankfurt: the ARD Book Fair Stage in cooperation with the Frankfurt Book Fair. The programme of events during the week of the Fair is being organised under the leadership of ARD and its broadcasters; other partners include ZDF, 3sat, ARTE, Deutsche Welle, Deutschlandfunk, DER SPIEGEL, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and others. The programme will be broadcast via livestream. Subject to current regulations, the events can be held in the Festhalle in front of an audience. A highlight will be the ARD Book Fair Night on Friday, 16 October 2020, which will be broadcast live across all cultural programmes in Germany.
Manfred Krupp, the Director-General of Hessischer Rundfunk, emphasises: "Hessischer Rundfunk is delighted to be a weighty partner at the side of the Frankfurt Book Fair for this special edition and to be the lead broadcaster for the ARD programme. Together with our media partners, we will take up this great challenge and make the most of the great opportunity to offer cultural enthusiasts and the specialist public places of exchange. This year, the Frankfurt Book Fair will once again be a platform for relevant discourse in its halls, on the ARD Book Fair Stage and virtually, celebrating the medium of books with its visitors*."
Also on Friday, ZDF will celebrate books and their authors with a big literature gala in the aspekte programme at 11pm. In cooperation with the Frankfurt Book Fair, top-class national and international writers will be invited. Katty Salié and Jo Schück will present them in this special edition of the culture magazine with readings, talks and portraits. The aspekte Literature Prize 2020 will also be awarded at the gala.
Bertelsmann, ZDF, Deutschlandfunk Kultur and 3sat will set up the well-known literary format Das Blaue Sofa from October 14 to 16, 2020, parallel to the Frankfurt Book Fair at the Bertelsmann Representative Office in Berlin, and will host around 50 authors* at #DasBlaueSofaDigital. The talks will be broadcast live in each case.
BOOKFEST digital: the cultural festival on 17 October live on the net
A day packed with cultural highlights: The BOOKFEST digital culture festival on the Saturday of the fair, 17 October 2020, is aimed at culture and literature fans around the world. A 16-hour digital live programme with international participants is planned. Here, authors and their fans will meet online. Whether interviews, discussions or productions: The programme will be curated by the Frankfurt Book Fair team. Publishers and partners are now invited to submit their authors and topics for BOOKFEST digital by 15 July 2020. Participation is free of charge for all interested culture fans as well as for exhibitors and publishers. More information for publishers and partners on the Call for Ideas: www.bookfest.de/digital
World Reception Virtual: Europe - Connecting Cultures
How can culture have a lasting impact in a global crisis? At the Weltempfang, the Frankfurt Book Fair's centre for politics, literature and translation, authors, cultural practitioners, experts and opinion leaders from around the world will discuss the impact of the pandemic on cultural life. Under the motto "Europe - Connecting Cultures", a dozen carefully curated online events are planned to be broadcast during Book Fair week. The World Reception is a joint project of the Frankfurt Book Fair and the Federal Foreign Office.
Guest of Honour Canada with strong virtual presence
Due to the travel restrictions currently in place, Canada has had to postpone its physical appearance for a year. In 2020, however, numerous digital events are planned - both as part of the public programme and at the trade events of the Frankfurt Book Fair 2020. Information on the programme is yet to be announced. The digital formats will also showcase Canadian works translated into German in the last twelve months and their authors. More than 100 new publications in German have already been released in recent months.
Cross-media rights trading: THE ARTS+
THE ARTS+ is the Frankfurt Book Fair's trading centre for Creative Intellectual Property (CIP), i.e. ideas, concepts, texts, images or audio content. THE ARTS+ thus forms the interface between the publishing sector and creative industries such as film and TV, art and museums, music, design, etc. As part of the Frankfurt Book Fair 2020, THE ARTS+ offers a digital specialist programme consisting of lectures, master classes and pitches. The aim is to initiate partnerships and drive forward the rights and licence trade. An initiative already launched by THE ARTS+ is Pitch your CIP. This is a closed Facebook group with over 800 members that brings together the publishing and creative industries. Here, agencies, publishers and creatives can pitch their content to find partners for co-productions, screen adaptations, merchandising partnerships, etc. The goal of Pitch your CIP is to foster collaborative exchange, build a B2B community and lay the foundation for content commerce in the age of media convergence.
For more info on these and other offerings, visit: www.buchmesse.de/
