Frankfurter Buchmesse calls for support for the Ukrainian book industry
Fundraising project by the Börsenverein group / Visibility for Ukrainian literature
Editorial meetings during air raids, a book launch in a bomb shelter: The ongoing war in Ukraine has turned unimaginable scenes into reality. In order to support the Ukrainian book industry, Frankfurter Buchmesse, together with the Börsenverein Group and other partners, has started several support initiatives. More than 21,000 euros were donated by the employees and organisations of the Börsenverein Group (German Publishers and Booksellers Association (Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels), Frankfurter Buchmesse, MVB and mediacampus frankfurt) to aid projects and relief organisations that provide direct support to Ukrainian people in need.
"Frankfurter Buchmesse has maintained close contacts with the Ukrainian book industry for many years. We want to support our Ukrainian colleagues right now, while they are withstanding the Russian attack. As the annual meeting place of the international publishing industry, it is important to us to give the Ukrainian book industry global visibility. We are doing this by showcasing Ukrainian books at book fairs worldwide and by offering Ukrainian publishers a stand at this year's Frankfurter Buchmesse free of charge," says Juergen Boos, Director of Frankfurter Buchmesse. "The commitment, openness and creativity of the Ukrainian publishing and bookselling scene have made a lasting impression on us. Several of our employees are currently in direct contact with Ukrainian colleagues. Through our joint fundraising campaign and many other initiatives, we want to show our unconditional solidarity with the people of Ukraine."
Call for donations: aid project for members of the Ukrainian publishing industry
Together with the Ukrainian Publishers and Booksellers Association (UPBA), the organisations of the Börsenverein Group have launched a fundraising project for Ukrainian members of the publishing industry, such as publishers, authors and booksellers. Donations will be used to support colleagues in acute need. All donations are welcome and can be made to the German Publishers and Booksellers Association's Stiftung Buchkultur und Leseförderung
via PayPal to ukraine-toloka@boev.de or via the PayPal website(opens in a new window).
The Börsenverein Group will hand over the collected money to the UPBA, which is cooperating with the Ukrainian Toloka Foundation on the aid project. The latter will then distribute the money. UPBA membership is not required to receive support. Ukrainian members of the publishing industry in need of support are asked to reach out to the Ukrainian Publishers and Booksellers Association (http://upba.org.ua/(opens in a new window)).
Visibility for the Ukrainian publishing and creative industries
Frankfurter Buchmesse (19-23 October 2022) offers the organisers of the Ukrainian national stand, the Ukrainian Book Institute, a free stand at this year's book fair. Ukrainian publishers and authors are invited to present their publications there. To further promote the international visibility of Ukrainian literature and culture, a collection of books by Ukrainian authors and illustrators published in German will travel around the world. The selected books will be exhibited at the German collective stands, organised by Frankfurter Buchmesse, at book fairs worldwide - next in Warsaw and Prague. The collection "Books from Ukraine" can also be viewed online: https://www.german-stories.de/books-ukraine(opens in a new window)
The book fair is in close contact with its long-standing partners Book Arsenal Kyiv and Goethe-Institut Ukraine in order to develop joint formats to support the publishing industries of Ukraine, Central and Eastern Europe, the Caucasus and Central Asia, as in previous years.
In order to offer a wider audience for an important voice of the Ukrainian cultural scene, Frankfurter Buchmesse recently handed over its official Instagram account (www.instagram.com/buchmesse(opens in a new window)) for two days to Olia Zhuk, deputy director for contemporary art and museum affairs of the Mystetskyi Arsenal Museum in Kyiv. Olia Zhuk's posts and stories can still be viewed on the book fair account.
Further initiatives and projects to support the Ukrainian book industry are being planned.
Aid initiatives and offers of support for the book industry
All aid projects and the initiatives of Frankfurter Buchmesse and its international partners can be found on the website www.buchmesse.de/en/news/ukraine(opens in a new window).
Contact for the media:
Press & Corporate Communication, Frankfurter Buchmesse
Kathrin Grün, Head of Communications, Phone: +49 (0) 69 2102-170(opens in a new window), gruen@buchmesse.de(opens in a new window)
Ines Bachor, PR Manager, Phone: +49 (0) 69 2102-189(opens in a new window), bachor@buchmesse.de(opens in a new window)
About Frankfurter Buchmesse
Frankfurter Buchmesse is the international publishing industry’s biggest trade fair and the most important international marketplace for content – from novels and children’s books to academic databases and stories for films, games and virtual reality experiences. Publishing professionals from around the world meet here with partners from the technology sector and from related creative and cultural industries, sparking new partnerships and business models. 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. Frankfurter Buchmesse organises the participation of German publishers at international book fairs and hosts trade events throughout the year in major international markets. Frankfurter Buchmesse is a subsidiary of the Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels (German Publishers & Booksellers Association). https://www.buchmesse.de/en(opens in a new window)