Frankfurt Book Fair 2021 - Arrival on Thursday
No, it's not a new stand at the book fair, but since we arrived on Thursday and didn't start at the fair until Friday, we treated ourselves to a burger at Jamy's to kick things off. Some say that this used to be Jamie Oliver's burger chain; unfortunately, I couldn't find anything about it online anymore. But regardless of who Jamy's is, the burgers are definitely highly recommended...
Trade fair day Friday:
Friday at the Frankfurt Book Fair was very relaxed. Due to COVID-19 regulations, which only allowed members of the public to enter the fair, the number of participants/visitors was limited to 25,000 per day. This meant everything was very spacious, and the three halls that were open this year never felt overcrowded. Of course, many exhibitors were not present due to COVID-19 restrictions, and to further ease congestion, the general public was also allowed in from 2 pm on Friday.
In the lead-up to the book fair, there was a somewhat heated controversy because the organizers had allocated a booth to a right-wing publishing house right next to the ARD stage. As a result, numerous authors who were scheduled to appear on the ARD stage either changed their programs (especially their readings) or canceled their appearances at short notice.
I also briefly stopped by this "brown publishing house" and had my picture taken with Lisa Ruhm's book "They Are Everywhere." This book is supposed to help you recognize right-wing views on social media more quickly and what you can do about them (unfollow)...
So, all in all, another big step towards normality, including a scandal. And to be quite honest, yes, choosing that location for this "right-wing publisher" was stupid. Publishers like that should be relegated to a basement or near the garbage cans. But a democracy—and that's what we live in—has to be able to tolerate this, and you simply have to stand up against it and make a (small) statement against it. It's still better than calling for a boycott on social media, because that usually doesn't achieve much, and you're no better than the social media conspiracy theorists who have been flooding these platforms with disinformation and hate speech since the pandemic began...
Trade fair day Saturday:
On Saturday it felt a bit more crowded, but the organization was really excellent and there was always plenty of space. Sure, it was a bit cozier in the halls themselves, but nowhere near as crowded as before the pandemic...
Sunday - Event not at the fairgrounds:
Sunday was much more relaxed as my better half had a reading at the Volksbühne Frankfurt. It was within walking distance of the hotel, and despite the limited capacity due to Covid regulations, the reading was sold out.
My takeaway from the 2021 Frankfurt Book Fair is that things are moving forward after the pandemic, and despite the remaining restrictions and regulations, trade fairs and larger events can now be held again. I'm already looking forward to the Leipzig Book Fair in 2022, and I'm curious to see how the COVID-19 regulations will be implemented there, assuming they're still in place at that time...
