Frankfurt Book Fair wraps with huge crowd
October 19, 2015
The 67th Frankfurt Book Fair was "the most successful one in years," said Juergen Boos, director of the event.
Nearly 276,000 people visited the event this year, which is two percent more than in 2014. Organizers say attendance even increased by four percent over the weekend, when the fair opened its doors to the public, after the first three days were devoted exclusively to journalists and industry insiders. The event closed on Sunday (19.10.2015).
Organizers had given a political tone to this year's book fair, "taking a clear position for freedom of expression and of publication," reminded Heinrich Riethmüller, director of the German Publishers and Booksellers Association. For instance, they had invited Salman Rushdie to give a keynote speech.
The fair also offered free passes to refugees during the weekend and organized special visits by guides who could speak their language.
During his presentation on Saturday, the Syrian author Rafik Schami praised the population's helpfulness and solidarity with refugees, but also criticized the German government's lack of concept to properly deal with the current crisis.
The book fair was not all about politics, though. Among the most popular stars of the event were bestselling author Charlotte Link and reality TV personality Daniela Katzenberger, presenting her book "A Bimbo Becomes a Mummy."
Cosplayers, fans of Japanese mangas who like to wear costumes in tribute to their favorite characters, also added color to the weekend's huge crowd.
eg/kbm (dpa, AFP)