70 years of Frankfurter Buchmesse

The world largest bookfair takes place every year in Frankfurt/Main.

In October authors, editors, publishers, printers and traders become crazy before and during this gigantic trade fair event. I’m deeply in love with the Frankfurt Bookfair since 1970s. There are uncountable events around the book-business in „Mainhattan“, which is the nickname of Frankfurt. Up to 290.000 visitors squeeze themselves through the gigantic halls during the famous „five crazy days“. Last year 4.000 events took place and even more events at many locations in the city.

The first three days are manageable, but it’s nevertheless a hectic experience – although the Bookfair is restricted exclusively to professional visitors. Everybody else has to wait until weekend and still has to be very brave to attend a big mass event like this.

I’m belonging to the „lucky“ ones, who are allowed to attend in the first three days. I begin my tour at the first possible moment. My schedule is always so stuffed – feeling as tight as a dress – a two sizes too small dress! Sometimes I stopp taking breath at 8:00 a.m. and start to inhale again at 20:00 p.m. The world’s most important marketplace for printed and digital content is always busy and buzzing like a bee hive.

Someone or something will impress me every year most. For example: in 2011 the press center was in a new building in the middle of Agora, which is the center of bookfair. In the main hall was designed as an art installation, I fell in love at first sight. Small printers high above on the ceiling printed all day long the twitter tweets connected to Bookfair. The paper rolls went down like curtains and piled up on the floors. It were enormous heaps of paper!

I hope, we will meet at Frankfurt Buchmesse (10-14 October), btw. the guest of honor will be Georgia!