20.10.23 Free


At the Frankfurt Book Fair 2023.


Hall 6.0, Stand C122


Frankfurt 2023: trading on the up but geopolitical situation casts a long shadow


have reported that their markets are growing, and have discussed how they can beter reach younger readers. “We have heard a lot about different books, and it’s always so interesting to hear international perspectives on those same titles.”


UK PUBLISHERS ARE REPORTING STRONG TRADING AT THIS YEAR’S FRANKFURT BOOK FAIR


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ublishers and agents have reported a productive and solid Frankfurt Book Fair (FBF) but the “cloud” of the Israel- Gaza conflict has hung over the event, while no huge book truly set the Buchmesse alight. Oneworld publisher Juliet Mabey said that she had various appointments cancelled owing to the conflict, as had Emma Allden, international sales and marketing executive at Bloomsbury. However both Allden and Mabey noted that the fair felt busier than last year. This was echoed by Jeremy Trevathan, managing director of adult publishing at Pan Macmillan. “Last year was the first fair obvi- ously ‘back’ aſter lockdown properly, and that was still half-busy,” Trevathan said. Trevathan also highlighted that this year’s FBF did not have a single book that stood out as the “book of the fair”. He explained: “There were some interesting titles last year, there


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was a lot happening. This year, there is no big exciting book, which would have broken out by now.” Trevathan added that Jennifer Wallace’s Mattering, a book on loneliness agented by UTA, appeared to be the “big non-fiction book” of this year’s fair, but he said there “doesn’t seem to be any big fiction being sold”. Rachel Mills, agent and founder of the Rachel Mills Literary, said there was a trend across non-fiction titles this year: “I have been interested to hear about how traditional ‘life- stle’ publishers are publishing much more broadly and in perhaps more ‘serious’ topics than before—for example, science-backed health rather than diet titles, or issue-led books on feminism or identit, which mirrors similar trends in the UK.”


Catherine Cho, agent at Paper Literary, commented that the “mood has been very positive and buoyant”, adding that publishers


The conflict in Israel and Gaza has been a central topic of conversation, with many exhibitors unable to atend. “We are very sad about the cloud that has hung over the book fair and for all of our colleagues worldwide who have not been able to atend,” said Madeleine Milburn, agent and co-founder of the Madeleine Milburn Agency. “Amid this deep sadness, the business of books feels buoyant given the sheer quantit of exciting new titles coming out of the UK, and publish- ers are eager to discover more and focus on our future bestsellers together.” Curtis Brown agent Cathryn Summerhayes added: “We obviously can’t ignore what’s going on in the world and I think there’s obvi- ously been a kind of sadness around that; a lot of our international publishing friends haven’t been able to make it. But actually, as always in publishing, we all rally to the cause and we are here to do business, but also to see friends that we have known for decades.”


Summerhayes explained that there has been interest in a range of books, including literary débuts, pop psychology and “books that change your life”. She was conducting an auction for Frank Miller’s graphic memoir and had already received eight offers from UK publishers. “There is no one ‘hot book’, there are so many,” Summerhayes said. “It feels like there’s a bit of something for everyone.” Ian Hudson, Bloomsbury executive director and m.d. of the consumer publishing division, added that Want by Gillian Anderson is “sell- ing well”. He also said that Pablo and Splash, a children’s graphic novel by author and illustrator Sheena Dempsey, has also received “really strong feedback”.


Reporting Sian Bayley & Melina Spanoudi


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Friday


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