Prominent participation: Italy at the Frankfurt Book Fair

Diverse programme/Regional focus on Lazio and Piedmont

Frankfurt, 12 October 2016 – The Italian book market is picking up speed, a dynamic that is reflected at the Frankfurt Book Fair (19-23 October 2016). In June, the Italian the Research Department of the Italian Publishers Association reported that, in 2016 alone, some 6,000 licenses were sold abroad, representing an increase of 11.7 per cent over the previous year. Doubtless in no small part thanks to Elena Ferrante’s global bestseller, My Brilliant Friend: Since the first book was published in 2011, over a million copies of the tetralogy have been sold, and it has been translated into English, French, Spanish, Dutch and German. “We’ve been watching the atmosphere of optimism in the Italian book market for a while now, and the Frankfurt Book Fair is the right place to cultivate this dynamic”, says Juergen Boos, director of the Frankfurt Book Fair. “We’re very pleased that the Italian Agency for Foreign Trade ICE and the Italian Publishers Association AIE, in cooperation with various Italian cultural institutes in Germany, are using the Frankfurt Book Fair to present their authors and their country to international trade professionals and interested readers”.

Expanded floor space in Hall 5.0

The floor space covered by the Italian collective stand in Hall 5.0 (C36 and C37) more than doubled this year, and will stand out thanks to a brand new design. A total of 107 Italian publishers will be represented at the national stand. The collective stand will open on Wednesday, 19 October 2016, in the presence of the Italian Secretary of State Ivan Scalfarotto, Ministry of Economic Development. Following a period of realignment, this year, Italy’s two largest publishing houses, Mondadori and RCS, will be participating for the first time as a publishing conglomerate at an international book fair.

A new aspect of the Italian stand is the presentation of regions: With Lazio and Piedmont, two tourist destinations will be presented at the Frankfurt Book Fair, and both will promote the presence of regional publishers such as Minimum Fax and Codice Edizione.

Italian programme during the week of the fair
This year, the Italian Cultural Institute in Cologne has invited three important authors: The winner of the renowned Premio Strega 2015, Nicola Lagioia, is expected in Frankfurt, as are Vicenzo Latronico and Fleur Jaeggy. All three authors will participate in events on the exhibition grounds and in the city. At the CEO talk on the Thursday of the fair (20 October, 2:00 p.m. in the Business Club), organised by Rüdiger Wischenbart in cooperation with leading international trade magazines, Massimo Turchetta, the publisher of RCS, will field questions from journalists, while Michele Foschini, publishing manager at BAO Publishing, will talk at a panel discussion on the topic of the marketing of bestsellers.

This year marked the 200-year anniversary of the publication of Goethe’s Italian Journey. An occasion for the Italian Cultural Institute in Berlin to send out the Italian blogger Andrea D’Addio and the German blogger Laura Droße to follow in the footsteps of Frankfurt’s universal genius: The two bloggers set out in a Fiat 500, covering the most important stations of Goethe’s Italian journey and publishing their travel reports along the way. Droße and D’Addio travelled in a special Fiat 500 with an eye-catching design that showed Johann Wolfgang von Goethe in the famous sitting pose along with the motto “Goethe loves Italy”. Another Fiat 500 just like it will be on display at the Frankfurt Book Fair, in Hall 5, where the project will be presented.

It’s served! La dolce vita in Hall 5.0

Italy stands for culinary delights more than any other country. So it’s no wonder that this sector is also given top priority at the Frankfurt Book Fair: The Parma-based gourmet publisher FOOD Editore (Hall 5.0 C1) will fly in renowned Italian chefs to Frankfurt, who will serve up samples of their culinary know-how. During the week of the fair, every day FOOD Editore will welcome trade visitors and friends for an aperitif.

About the Frankfurt Book Fair
The Frankfurt Book Fair is the international publishing industry’s biggest trade fair – with 7,100 exhibitors from more than 100 countries, around 275,000 visitors, over 4,000 events and around 10,000 accredited journalists (including 2,000 bloggers) in attendance. It also gathers key players from other media, including the film and games industries. Since 1976, the Book Fair has featured an annual Guest of Honour country, which showcases its book market, literature and culture to attendees in a variety of ways. The Frankfurt Book Fair organises the participation of German publishers in some 20 international book fairs and hosts trade events throughout the year in major international markets. With its Business Club, the Frankfurt Book Fair offers entrepreneurs, publishers, founders, thought leaders, experts and visionaries an ideal setting for their business activities. The Frankfurt Book Fair is a subsidiary of the German Publishers & Booksellers Association. www.book-fair.com(opens in a new window)

Contact for the media:
Press & Corporate Communications, Frankfurt Book Fair
Katja Böhne, Vice President Marketing & Communications, tel.: +49 (0) 69 2102-138, press@book-fair.com(opens in a new window)
Kathrin Grün, PR Manager, tel.: +49 (0) 69 2102-170, gruen@book-fair.com(opens in a new window)
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