Show Daily Magazine

THURSDAY, 12 October 2017 | FRANKFURT BOOK FAIR | publishingperspectives.com

Left to right at the Prix Goncourt shortlist announcement: Judith Roze, Language Department Director, Institut Français; Marie Dabadie, Secretary General, Goncourt Academy; Francoise Chandernagor, writer; Tahar Ben Jelloun, writer; Pierre Assouline, writer; Leïla Slimani, writer; Bernard Pivot, president, Goncourt Academy; Jérôme Ferrari, writer; Philippe Claudel, writer and film director; Patrick Rambaud, writer; Didier Decoin, writer; Virginie Despentes, writer; Eric- Emmanuel Schmitt, writer; Paule Constant, writer

Who’s Who of Francophone Literature in Frankfurt

From the announcement of the Prix Goncourt shortlist to publishers from francophone Africa and Haiti, the French-language literary world is in Frankfurt en force to celebrate their common language and cultural diversity. FROM PUBLISHING PERSPECTIVES

From the Editor: Among Friends Tweets from the Frankfurt Book Fair

By Porter Anderson at the heart of these deals: “To have a partner that already knows aving cleared the import- such a market,” Bodour said, “takes Hant political overtones of out a lot of the groundwork. And Tuesday’s formal opening events, in return, we can give them access Frankfurt Book Fair’s focus on to the 420 million Arabic speakers Wednesday sharpened quickly around the world while they can to business, as the show floors do the same for our books.” opened, the LitAg’s trades started Convivial partnership, however, flying, and escalators hummed. is never everything in love or in During the a Publishing Per- business. spectives Talk at Frankfurt’s Busi- And by the time the fair’s annual ness Club on Wednesday, Sheikha CEO Talk was underway, the chief Bodour Al Qasimi of Sharjah was of Simon & Schuster was getting reacquainted with a fellow Shar- good-natured laughs for her view jahn whom she hadn’t seen since of what Brexit means for the rest the last Frankfurt Book Fair of the world: “It will mean,” Carolyn As the audience members Reidy wryly told The Bookseller’s laughed about coming to Frankfurt Philip Jones, “an end to Britain try- to see home-country colleagues, ing to grab Europe as an exclusive they learned about innovative market. translation partnerships estab- “And I still don’t understand,” lished by Bodour’s Kalimat with she said, “why the British think the Quarto Group, Bloomsbury, they have India.” • and Gallimard Jeunesse. Sales are

Today’s Event Highlights: Thursday, 12 October SHOW DAILY What Future is There for Hot Spot Tour Francophone Books? 11:00 am to 12:30 pm Publishing Perspectives is the leading source of information about the global 9:00 am to 11:00 pm Business Club, Hall 4.0 Foyer book publishing business. Since 2009, we have been publishing daily email Guest of Honor Pavilion Get to know the technical spe- editions with news and features from around the book world. (Forum, Level 1) cialists, digital innovators, and Our mission is to help build and contribute to the international This roundtable discussion put content creators at the Frankfurt publishing community by offering information that publishing and media together by several cultural orga- Book Fair’s Hot Spots—hubs of in- professionals need to connect, cooperate, and work together year-round nizations will explore the current novation throughout the fair. and across borders. developments in the francophone In addition to our daily online coverage, we also offer an online monthly publishing market. rights edition, as well as print magazines at special events including the New Trends in Copyright London Book Fair and the Frankfurt Book Fair. As a project of the Frankfurt Book Fair New York, Publishing Perspectives Trading in China works with our colleagues in Frankfurt and the Fair’s international offices, European Booksellers 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm as well as IPR License, to share with you the latest trends and opportunities, Conference Business Club Stage, Hall 4.0 people to know, companies to watch, and more. 10:00 am to 5:00 pm Publishers and experts from China Hall 5.1, Tulip Lounge and Germany will discuss how Organized by the European and the Chinese government policy of International Booksellers Fed- “Going Out” has affected the rights eration, this conference aims to business and what we can expect PUBLISHER : Hannah Johnson CONTRIBUTORS TO THIS ISSUE : provide booksellers, associations, in this area in the future. EDITOR-IN-CHIEF : Porter Anderson Marie Bilde and executives with ideas and best BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT : Erin Cox Jane Chun practices that they can take back Alastair Horne to their own countries. International Publishing PHOTOGRAPHY: Johannes Minkus Mark Piesing Distribution Forum Olivia Snaije 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm DISTRIBUTION: Roger Tagholm CONTENTShift Publishing Hot Spot Publishing Services, Frank Hörnig Startups ARTS+ Hall 4.0 J37 Petra Hörnig PUBLISHING PERSPECTIVES 10:30 am to 12:30 pm The Frankfurt Book Fair and the Theresa Wössner a project of the Frankfurt Book Fair NY ARTS+ Runway, Hall 4.1 P53 International Publishing Distribu- 30 Irving Place, 4th Floor Five publishing startups from the tion Association are hosting a new New York, NY 10003 CONTENTShift Accelerator will forum and networking event for pitch their ideas to a jury which publishers and distributors to find will choose one winner. new commercial opportunities. Read more and subscribe at: publishingperspectives.com

2 PUBLISHING PERSPECTIVES / FRANKFURT BOOK FAIR 2017 NEWS FROM THE FAIR

PUBLISHING PERSPECTIVES / FRANKFURT BOOK FAIR 2017 3 AUTHORS IN THE SPOTLIGHT

2017 Prix Goncourt Shortlist Announced

Tahar Ben Jelloun, award-winning Moroccan-French author Leïla Slimani, winner of the 2016 Prix Goncourt; Bernard Pivot, president of the Goncourt Academy

By Olivia Snaije The Goncourt is an internation- Sud) said that the Goncourt “im- THE 2017 SHORTLIST: ally recognized prize that guaran- mediately creates a rush for the he shortlist for France’s top lit- tees the winners translations into work that won the prize to be • François-Henri Désérable, Un Terary prize, the Goncourt, was other languages. translated. You hope it’s for the certain M. Piekielny (Gallimard) announced yesterday at the France Leïla Slimani, last year’s win- quality of the writing, but for me, • Olivier Guez, La disparition de Guest of Honor Pavilion by an im- ner said that within hours of get- what’s most important is that my Josef Mengele (Grasset) pressive group of authors and lite- ting the prize, 10 rights offers had work continues to be translated.” • Yannick Haenel, Tiens ferme ta rati, including Virginie Despentes, come in from various countries. Moroccan-French author Tahar couronne (Gallimard) Françoise Chandernagor, and “The word ‘Goncourt’ is extraordi- Ben Jelloun, a Goncourt Jury mem- • Alice Zeniter, L’Art de perdre Tahar Ben Jelloun. Not only was nary. I had no idea before getting ber ended the shortlist announce- (Flammarion) it unusual for the shortlist to be the prize. People in other coun- ment with a nice anecdote. He • Véronique Olmi, Bakhita announced in Frankfurt, said Ber- tries are amazed that authors in said his work was translated into (Albin Michel) nard Pivot, president of the Gon- France are treated like such stars.” 47 languages, one of which was • Alexis Ragougneau, Niels court Academy, but the longlist of So far, Slimani’s book, Chanson Esperanto. In Rotterdam, he said, (Viviane Hamy) 15 authors had been reduced to a douce (Gallimard), has been trans- there is a community of Esperanto • Eric Vuillard, L’Ordre du jour shortlist of eight authors in a “stu- lated into 37 languages. readers, and 2,000 copies were (Actes Sud) pefyingly” short amount of time, Jérôme Ferrari, a Goncourt published in the language, which • Monica Sabolo, Summer inspired, no doubt, by “German winner in 2012 for his novel Le Ser- were immediately sold out. • (JC Lattès) speed.” mon sur la chute de Rome (Actes

Ken Follett on Brexit, Kingsbridge, and Book Promo

By Roger Tagholm now almost like an international ers all bases, and the author clearly company, with a researcher hired receives much coverage as a re- en Follett is a firm “remainer” to find people for Follett to inter- sult, which may partly explain his Kand is appalled by his native view and academics paid to read extraordinary sales. His previous UK’s decision to leave the Euro- first drafts for accuracy. Global novel The Pillars of the Earth has pean Union. He also believes the success leads to a high number sold 5 million copies in Germany people of his famous fictional city of requests. The Follett Office, as alone and some 35 million copies of Kingsbridge—whose stories he it is called, recognizes this and is around the world. Total worldwide tells in A Column of Fire, the third awash with resources for the me- sales of his 31 novels are more than volume in his bestselling series dia. The press conference itself 160 million, in more than 80 coun- about the town—would have been was live-streamed on Twitter and tries and 33 languages. firm “remainers” as well. was preceded by a high-quality The good news for booksell- “They would hate the idea of film following Follett on various ers is that the 68-year-old author Brexit,” he told a packed press research trips around Europe, has no intention of stopping. He conference hosted by his German to cathedrals and ruins in Paris, is working on a new story—not a publisher Bastei Lübbe. “Kings- Orléans, and Seville. fourth Kingsbridge—and says re- bridge is a trading city, trading all Follett’s wife and now agent, assuringly “there will be another over Europe. It is consciously in- one-time Labour MP Barbara Fol- Kingsbridge story, too. I’m just not ternational. I’m a ‘remainer,’ and I lett, reminded the audience that sure if that will be the one I write believe the people of Kingsbridge extracts from the film—which was next. But I still want to write sto- would be, too. I think Brexit is a di- shot by their daughter—were free ries that entertain millions of peo- saster for our country.” to use and everyone was supplied ple—that’s what drives me.” Such is Follett’s global success with a memory stick containing For which booksellers around that the whole Follett operation is the film. The Follett operation cov- the world give thanks. •

4 PUBLISHING PERSPECTIVES / FRANKFURT BOOK FAIR 2017 PUBLISHING PERSPECTIVES / FRANKFURT BOOK FAIR 2017 5 PHOTOS FROM THE FAIR

Kein & Aber Tower: Swiss publisher Kein & Aber is taking its book fair meetings in a container tower in the Agora this year. There’s also a rooftop bar and a “penthouse” hotel room on the top level.

Already a global success with 365 million copies sold worldwide, according to The first-ever Frankfurt Fun Run took place Sunday along the Main river. Hachette Illustré, Asterix dominates the Agora in Frankfurt. Winners of the 5k race were Rhea Lyons (Rodale) and Will Roberts (Gernert).

Farewell to Tim: A final Hachette party in Frankfurt for UK CEO Tim Hely Hutchinson, who retires at the end of the year. He is seen here with Kindle’s Brenda Spoonemoore (left) and Claire Johnson. Hely Hutchinson says he is greatly looking forward to retirement. Among plans: a trip to the Atacama At the Hachette party: Michael Pietsch, CEO of Hachette US, with Toronto- Desert and more diving. —Roger Tagholm based literary agent Beverley Slopen

6 PUBLISHING PERSPECTIVES / FRANKFURT BOOK FAIR 2017 PHOTOS FROM THE FAIR

From the Fred Kobrak Memorial: family, colleagues, and friends gathered Fair director Juergen Boos and ARTS+ moderator Syd Atlas announce the together to share their memories. Global Illustration Award winners in five catetories.

Chris Dercon, filmmaker and artistic director of the Volksbühne Berlin, speaks Andrienne Tang, Rights Director at Kids Can Press in Toronto, Canada on the ARTS+ Runway on Wednesday.

HarperCollins Celebrates Its 200-Year Publishing History

Champagne and chocolate cake for HarperCollins, courtesy of the Frankfurt Book Fair yesterday. The publisher is celebrating its 200th anniversary and seen here, l to r, are UK CEO Charlie Redmayne and worldwide CEO Brian Murray with the Frankfurt Book Fair’s director Juergen Boos and vice president of English-language markets, Thomas Minkus. —Roger Tagholm

PUBLISHING PERSPECTIVES / FRANKFURT BOOK FAIR 2017 7 NEWS FROM THE FAIR

CEO Talk: Defending Freedom to Carolyn Reidy and Guillaume Dervieux Publish and Role of Publishers

By Porter Anderson Guillaume Dervieux, vice-pres- ident and CEO of Michel Albin said ontrasts punctuated Wednes- that self-publishing is “the exact Cday’s “CEO Talk” conversation opposite of what we are doing” in between an American Big Five the trade. In self-publishing, every corporate viewpoint and that of “manuscript is accepted and each a venerable French independent title is invested with the minimum publishing house at the Frankfurt amount of means. We do exactly Book Fair. the contrary. We reject a lot of When asked about the impact of manuscripts, and we concentrate self-publishing on the industry, for all our means and effort only on example, Simon & Schuster presi- the ones we choose with passion.” Yiannopoulos for his title Dan- Here, there was solid agree- dent and CEO Carolyn Reidy said The Frankfurt CEO Talk is pre- gerous, an action that’s still the ment from Dervieux. “The pub- there’s no doubt that self-publish- sented each year by Livres Hebdo subject of a court challenge. Her lishing house must be powerful,” ing is “huge” and has “taken away (France), with Bookdao (China), house has also published the 2016 he said, “not only in defending [the some consumers” from the trade The Bookseller (UK), buchreport election memoir What Happened rights of] authors but also when it in the US market. It has created a (Germany), PublishNews (Brazil), by Hillary Clinton. comes to freedom of expression.” need, she said, for trade publish- and Publishers Weekly (USA) and is In answer to questions about And the wariness in the execu- ers to “make the case for what it is chaired by publishing consultant the political climate, Reidy said tives’ purview was palpable when we provide and what self-publish- Rüdiger Wischenbart. that in such a divisive context as asked about contemporary media ing does not provide . . . I think it Reidy, at the end of September, today’s, she’s concerned to see challenges to literature. Both Reidy makes us focus more on what we reported to her company that S&S such sentiment as that of Tur- and Dervieux said that new devel- do for the author. Self-publishing had claimed a rare eight simulta- key’s repressive regime “starting opments in digital could still show makes us make sure our game is as neous No. 1 spots on The New York to bubble up from the public, peo- us a bigger challenge to traditional good as it can be.” Times bestseller list. But S&S also ple saying you should or shouldn’t print than we’ve seen so far from By contrast, the view from has felt the heat of political strug- publish something. Our need to ebooks. It’s other entertainments France clearly was from a market gles this year, eventually canceling defend freedom of expression that make it hard, as Reidy put it, in which the indie-author move- its contract with the incendiary against mob rule is becoming “to keep books in the forefront of ment is comparatively nascent. right-wing commentator Milo more essential than ever.” the consumer’s mind.” •

Russian Publisher Plans More Bookshops—That’s Clever

Elena Izmaylova, Clever Publishing Clever Publishing is in Frankfurt for the first time and is seeing growth in its children’s book business and physical bookstores.

By Roger Tagholm have maybe 30 shops.” The company specializes in t’s a first Frankfurt for Moscow’s board and activity books for the IClever Publishing, and the chil- 0–7 age range, but is also begin- dren’s house is growing quickly, ning to explore young adult fic- says Editor-in-Chief Elena Izmay- tion, having recently bought Fran- lova. “Seven years ago, when we ces Hardinge’s The Lie Tree from started, we were publishing just Macmillan. four titles a month; now we are up “We buy a lot of rights, with to around 500 a year.” around 50 percent of our titles the city’s Neva publishers, before There are no fixed prices in the The company, founded in 2010 coming from the UK and USA,” says moving to AST in Moscow where country, nor are there any printed by Alexander Alperovich who was Izmaylova, “but here in Frankfurt, she met Alperovich. Two years prices on books. formerly with AST (one of the big- we are hoping to sell, and we have ago she joined an editors’ trip to “Our royalties are based on our gest houses in Russia), is unusual in many appointments. We did a cou- Frankfurt organized by the book wholesale price, which is the only that it also owns three bookshops ple of deals in Bologna, which was fair’s office in Russia. price we can control. Sometimes it and has plans for many more. “We also the first time we had been to “Business has got harder in Rus- can be hard to explain that to for- have two stores in Moscow and that fair.” sia,” she says. “In the last ten years, eign publishers. Although there is one in St. Petersburg, and we hope Izmaylova has been with the many publishers have moved into a lot of competition in children’s to open five more in 2018,” explains company for six years. She has children’s books because sales of books, we still find that people like Izmaylova. “We have to see how it degrees in Russian Philology and adult fiction dropped away. This our titles—they keep coming so we goes. There aren’t so many big cit- Marketing from the University of means there is a lot of competi- are happy.” • ies in Russia, but I think we could St. Petersburg, and she worked for tion” in this growing segment.

8 PUBLISHING PERSPECTIVES / FRANKFURT BOOK FAIR 2017 NEWS FROM THE FAIR

ARTS+ Equals Tech Quick Quotes from the Fair and Innovation

Jenny Robson Sejeong Oh Agent/Director, Team Leader of Business Intercontinental Literary Development, YLAB Agency (ILA) “I’m here as a panelist for KOCCA’s “We’re excited about The Smallest events on Friday about Korea’s ris- Lights in the Universe by Dr. Sara ing, new web content industry. I’m Seager, which our client agency going to talk about why web con- CAA sold last week in a substan- tent is so popular in South Korea tial deal. We have offers in from six and also some East Asian coun- The “Fair Grounds,” a virtual fair ride in the ARTS+ area, Hall 4.1 territories and are expecting more tries and if there’s a possibility in shortly. Dr. Seager is a professor of the future [for similar web content By Alastair Horne and data on how successful those Physics and Planetary Science at growth] in . . . European countries. works were in the art market. It MIT. This book is about love, loss, I’ll also cover what kind of similar his year’s ARTS+ exhibitors then generated several works of and her search for life beyond the business models can be successful Tbring culture and technology its own—with no human interven- stars.” (The Bookseller reports that and the reasons behind that.” • together in unexpected and fasci- tion—and these were exhibited Mollie Glick at CAA has sold North —Jane Chun nating ways. Each has built a busi- alongside conventional artist-cre- American rights for Seager’s book to ness based on creativity, whether ated artworks. Asked which they Crown for seven figures.) that’s innovation labs, university preferred, the audience tended to departments, or a conference for choose the artificial ones. innovators in the museum world. Google Arts and Culture part- Art museums are well repre- ners with more than 1,500 institu- sented; both the Van Gogh and tions and organizations across 60 Munch museums are showcasing countries to bring Google’s tech- their use of new technologies in nology and expertise into combi- exciting ways to change how peo- nation with their cultural knowl- ple experience their collections. edge to produce experiences such Norway’s Munch Museum will as We Wear Culture. This collab- open a virtual museum in 2019. oration with 180 museums world- Holland’s Van Gogh Museum of- wide explores the stories behind fers attendees the chance to take what we wear—from famous fash- a picture of themselves within one ion designers to fashion move- of the artist’s paintings, a playful ments, from Versailles to Tokyo, way to generate an experience and beyond. that will outlast the visit. Of the 400 or so stories shared Another Dutch organization, by the project, the virtual reality DropStuff, is exhibiting interactive recreation of the world behind artwork that incorporates virtual Coco Chanel’s little black dress reality and fairground rides. The is on display in Frankfurt. Devel- “Fair Grounds” premiered at the oped in partnership with Les Arts Venice Bienniale and offers par- Décoratifs in Paris, the story of- ticipants the opportunity to take fers the viewer the opportunity a climb onboard a fairground ride to move around in a 360-degree and take a high-speed, virtual tour reconstruction of Chanel’s world through Amsterdam and Venice. superimposed over the top of the Two projects particularly catch museum space. the eye. Artrendex brings Artificial A newly developed, ultra-high- Intelligence (AI) that has learned resolution camera also allows what makes a work of art suc- viewers to see extreme close-ups cessful. Developed by Artrendex of textiles in the museum’s collec- founder Dr. Ahmed Elgammal, tions, in far more detail than would the AI was trained with a combi- be possible while visiting the mu- nation of contemporary works seum itself. •

PUBLISHING PERSPECTIVES / FRANKFURT BOOK FAIR 2017 9 FRANCOPHONE PUBLISHERS IN FRANKFURT

Dedicated Stand for Francophone African and Haitian Publishers

Africa has a larger presence in Frankfurt than ever this year, with a strong contingent of francophone publishers.

By Olivia Snaije etry, and children’s books, for the most part in French—although he rance, as Frankfurt’s Guest publishes a few books in Creole Fof Honor this year, has con- and in Spanish in a cooperative ef- sciously chosen to highlight fort with neighboring Dominican francophone authors as well as Republic, where he also prints his publishers from countries other books. His goal is to highlight new than France. In an initiative orga- voices in Haitian literature. For nized by the International Bureau Brutus, “literature must be at the of French Publishing (BIEF) and heart of events, and because Haiti backed by the International Orga- has a lot of problems, books should nization of Francophonie (OIF) and be a catalyst for discussion.” the National Book Center (CNL), a Brutus enjoys publishing essays stand for sub-Saharan African and that expound on the issues of daily Haitian publishers made its first life by progressive authors. He also appearance at the Fair this year. has a historian looking for forgot- Pierre Myszkowski, who heads ten writings by Haitians that still

Nigerian publisher Sulaiman Adebowale with the Frankfurt Book Fair’s Correy von Mayenburg the department of training and ex- have value today. His poetry col- changes at the BIEF, describes his lection is directed by award-win- office as a bridge between France ning Haitian novelist and poet Ly- and francophone publishers from onel Trouillot, who is published by southern countries. This year 20 Actes Sud in France. publishers from Benin, Camer- From the time he founded C3 oon, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Gabon, in 2011, Brutus has gone from pub- Guinea, Haiti, Madagascar, Mauri- lishing two to more than 30 titles tius, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, and a year. He sells the majority of his Togo, were chosen to come to the books in Haiti and to Haitian com- Fair and be part of the stand. munities abroad and makes a spe- They represent “a production cial attempt to keep his prices low. that deserves to be better known “People who have money don’t and recognized,” said Myszkow- read, and people who want to read ski, who added that he hoped that don’t have money.” French publishers would become Noro Valisoa Mialy Nary from more interested in the books these Tsipika in Madagascar came to francophone publishers have to Frankfurt in 2016 for the first time, offer, but also that francophone but this year “we have our own publishers might have access to space, and it’s as if people were authors from their countries who seeing us for the first time.” Being are published in France. at the Fair “opened my eyes to the Several writers have already world of rights. There are only two taken the initiative themselves, publishers in Madagascar who deal such as Haitian-Canadian author with rights.”

Haitian publisher Fred Brutus with author Lyonel Trouillot Dany Laferrière (also a member of Nigerian publisher Sulaiman the Académie Française), who is Adebowale of Senegal-based published by Editions Grasset in Amalion, who publishes both in Paris, giving Grasset world rights French and English, said he would except for Québec and franco- be meeting with publishers to buy phone areas in the Americas. He and sell titles; however, “money is offered his Montréal-based Hai- the root of all evil, meaning that tian publisher, Rodney Saint-Éloi, I am constrained because of fi- a share in his success. nances.” But coming to Frankfurt “The idea,” said Myszkowski, “is regularly is important to Adebow- to create a dynamic in both direc- ale because of the “exchanges and tions.” relationships that you develop Haitian publisher Fred Brutus, over time.” founder of C3 Editions, is in Frank- Adebowale first came to Frank- furt for the first time. The number furt in 2014 as part of the Frankfurt 3 in the company name stands for Invitation program that enables the “three levels of creation”: au- small and medium publishers from thors, publishers, and readers. He developing book markets to debut French minister of culture and former director of Actes Sud, Françoise Nyssen, with exhibitors from Sub-Saharan Africa and Haiti publishes essays, literature, po- as fair exhibitors. •

10 PUBLISHING PERSPECTIVES / FRANKFURT BOOK FAIR 2017 LITERARY AGENTS

French Agents Alliance on France’s Book Market

The Alliance of French Literary Agents on what’s selling and the evolving role of agents in France.

By Porter Anderson tend to follow the trends and con- to see results, and there doesn’t centrate on buying the same few seem to be a correlation between n March 2016, a group of liter- titles, and so they are buying fewer reviews and sales. Excellent re- Iary agents in France formed the books overall. views do not necessarily translate Alliance of French Literary Agents However we’re encouraged be- into higher sales. (Alliance des Agents Littéraires cause editors are always looking There are more digital sales Français). for good books that they think will than there used to be, but print Now, with France’s Guest of sell, and more and more are open remains very dominant. Ebooks Honor program underway—and to agents submitting manuscripts represent less than 10 percent of AALF, as the alliance is known, written by French authors. the French market. holding their own social event on PP: Generally, what’s selling PP: In the francophone world, Thursday evening (October 12)—we well in France? And in what for- it’s not unusual for publishers to have a chance to catch up with mats? “represent” the rights of an author, these agents about the French Agents: While foreign upmar- rather than an agent. Correct? was no other option. Who would book market. ket to literary fiction is having a Agents: In France, being repre- license these rights on an author’s Publishing Perspectives: How hard time at the moment, com- sented by an agent is less common behalf? There were only a handful does the French book market look mercial French fiction—feel-good compared to the norms in neigh- of author’s agents, if that, starting from the literary agent point of and women’s fiction, in particular— boring countries like Germany or perhaps 10 to 15 years ago. So it view? seems to be doing well. Italy, but this is evolving and will was really only up to the publisher Alliance agents: We’re always Nonfiction is heavily dominated continue to evolve as more and to sell the translation rights of an optimistic, but the beginning of by French authors who write more agents continue to come author’s book. the year was challenging for books about all things related to France: onto the scene. Now some authors are start- in general and for fiction in -par society, economy, politics, etc. Publishers have historically ac- ing to understand that translation ticular. Only a handful of players Now, more than ever, books quired all publishing rights from rights to their works are theirs to seem to come out on top. Readers need to be promoted with energy authors, perhaps because there hold onto or to sell. •

The World’s 1st Free Trade Zone for Publishing & Printing A state-of-the-art facility, built for one purpose. Be a part of this unique opportunity! Opening on the 30th October 2017 Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

www.spcfz.com PUBLISHING PERSPECTIVES / FRANKFURT BOOK FAIR 2017 11 [email protected] Government of Sharjah NEWS FROM THE FAIR

From Greenland: Arctic Noir Comes to Frankfurt

By Mark Piesing They have just had a hit with Kondrup is promoting the work Niviaq Korneliussen’s Homo sa- of two writers of Arctic noir at the e would like to call it Arc- pienne, which is about the LGBT Fair: Nina von Staffeldt and Hans “Wtic noir,” says Julie Reh- community in Greenland. It has so Jakob Helms. hoff Kondrup, editor of Milik, the far sold to eight countries. Homo Von Staffeldt was named the Greenlandic publishers who are sapienne is published in English crime fiction debut author of the at the Frankfurt Book Fair for the edition by Grove/Atlantic in the year in 2016 by the Danish Crime first time this year. USA. Little, Brown will publish a Fiction Academy for Frosne bev- “The ice. The cold. The tough- UK edition in the spring of 2018. iser (Frozen Evidence) which in- ness. The beauty of our nature. “Korneliussen has made a troduced the character of public These are things that we share breakthrough for Greenlandic relations adviser Sika Haslund to in common with Iceland and the literature,” says Kondrup. “Arctic the Greenlandic public. Faros Islands and help to define Noir can be just as successful.” Does the divide between the in- Lene Therkildsen what Arctic noir is.” Many people are now famil- digenous community and the Dan- Milik was set up by publisher iar with Scandi noir, the genre of ish also separate Arctic noir from Lene Therkildsen in 2003. It now crime fiction from Scandinavia its Scandinavian predecessor? has two staff members, including that has a somewhat dark point of “Yes. It is also a distinguish- Therkildsen, and has been de- view. How is Arctic noir different? ing factor,” says Kondrup, “Sika scribed as the largest publisher in “The Arctic is a more environ- Haslund has just returned to Greenland—a country with only 2 mentally brutal setting,” says Kon- Greenland after several years liv- bookshops. drup. “Nature is rough and tough ing in Denmark, but the Green- Milik Publishes 8 to 10 books in the Arctic—whereas in Scandi- landers feel that she has betrayed a year in usually two languages, navia, not so much.” her country. All these emotions Greenlandic and Danish. Denmark “The people up here in the Arc- run through the stories and make is their largest market. Sometimes tic are a little bit tougher as well,” Arctic noir different from Scandi they publish in English. she adds, risking a fight in Hall 5.0. noir.” • Julie Rehhoff Knondrup

International Distribution Forum Debuts This Evening

media sectors learn by coming to- So, of course, we have an inter- gether through the IPDA? est in a strong and smooth supply José Manuel Anta: Actually, chain. We’re also strong propo- the different parties can learn a nents of standardization at all rel- lot from one another. For exam- evant levels. ple, book distributors can learn We also compile a comprehen- from the logistics experience of sive database of distributors. It newspaper distributors, who have grows bigger and bigger, and we always delivered “one item to one keep adding new posts. This dis- customer on the precise date.” tributor database can become a Moreover, as media forms con- powerful tool for publishers of all verge towards each other and kinds who are looking for a distrib- Hot Spot (© Frankfurter Buchmesse / Peter Hirth) the distinction between different utor in a given market. International Publishing Distribution Forum: products becomes more blurred, I PP: What do you have planned Hot Spot Publishing Services, 5:30 to 7:00 pm, Hall 4.0 J37 think we will see a growing num- for today’s forum? ber of distributors trying to ex- JMA: Our event in Frankfurt pand their services and cover a is mainly a networking event. We By Marie Bilde IPDA is an organization of dis- larger part of the value chain. want to create room for meeting tributors of print and digital work PP: Would you say that IPDA and sharing information. oday (October 12), distributors such as books, newspapers, maga- works more on a strategic level The Distribution Forum is Tand publishers will have the zines, and more. The organization than a technical one? where publishers can find rele- opportunity to meet when the In- was founded two years ago. JMA: We work on both levels. In vant distributors and where dis- ternational Publishing Distributors The organization’s 22 members order to serve both publishers and tributors can present their various Association (IPDA) and the Frank- are mainly digital distributors, retailers in the best possible way, services. This year, a Buchmesse furt Book Fair presents the first large and small, from the United distributors need to follow the de- representative and I will each give incarnation of their International States, Canada, and Europe. velopment of the market and its a short introduction to the event Publishing Distribution Forum. José Manuel Anta is the man- business models closely. and to the state of distribution. More than 100 participants aging director of IPDA. Publish- But as we find ourselves in the Our focus will mainly be on com- from 34 countries are registered ing Perspectives interviewed Anta middle—right between publishers mercial opportunities. to attend. The plan is to make the from his offices in Madrid. and retailers (and libraries)—we’re Afterwards, there will be activ- Forum an annually recurring event Publishing Perspectives: What often identifying needs for optimi- ities supporting conversation and during the Frankfurt Book Fair. can distributors from different zation before anyone else. knowledge sharing. •

12 PUBLISHING PERSPECTIVES / FRANKFURT BOOK FAIR 2017 The Festival of Frankfurter Buchmesse

10. - 14.10.2017 Exclusive media partner

Drinks, tapas and After-party and author events. networking. Presented by the F.A.S. editorial team Bar AMP / Gallusanlage 2 NM57 / Neue Mainzer Straße 57 60329 Frankfurt 60311 Frankfurt Doors open / 6 pm Doors open / 6 pm

11.10. / 7 pm 10.10. / 9 pm PUB‘N‘PUB (#pubnpub) GRAND OPENING BOOKFEST The meet-up series for publishing with Édouard Louis (Keynote) 12.10. / 9 pm 11.10. / 9 pm BYTE THE BOOK RIMINI A Global Community for Reading and discussion Publishing in the Digital Age with Sonja Heiss 13.10. / 9 pm 12.10. / 9 pm INDIECON NIGHT 50 YEARS OF TRIKONT The Independent Magazine Party Live act: Eric Pfeil

13.10. / 9 pm TÄGLICH ALLES New status reports from Stefanie Sarnagel

14.10. / 7 pm THE PROBLEMS OF OTHERS F.A.Z. quarterly evening with Theresia Enzensberger and Friederike Haupt BREXIT

Two Views on Brexit from the UK and Europe

Two publishing association leaders weigh in on the potential impact of Brexit. By Roger Tagholm

Stephen Lotinga Anne Bergman-Tahon CEO, Publishers Association, UK Director, Federation of European Publishers

Publishing Perspectives: A year if we’re going to make progress on Publishing Perspectives: How particular publishing, benefit from on from publication of the Publish- the digital front. does Britain leaving the EU affect the free movement of persons, to ers Association’s Brexit manifesto, PP: How likely are UK pub- European publishers? attract the best talents and to re- how are you feeling? lishers to retain tariff-free access Anne Bergman-Tahon: One flect a multitude of cultures. It’s Stephen Lotinga: I remain to the Single Market, freedom of central issue is the issue of the really important that the negotia- very optimistic that, as a country, movement for employees, and as- “exhaustion of rights,” a principle tors on both sides find satisfactory we can still get a good deal from surances on copyright after Brexit? that exists at [the EU] Community solutions to allow EU staff in UK Brexit, but I won’t deny that I think SL: Tariffs are not what we need level and which will no longer ap- publishing houses and British staff we’re frustrated that there hasn’t to worry about . . . The problem is ply to the UK territory once Brexit in the EU to work and continue been more progress made so far, going to be customs. Lots of our is completed. sharing their cultural specificities. or that there hasn’t been an abil- members are still shipping a phys- For example, today, when a US So yes, we’re concerned. ity to give greater reassurance to ical product and obviously not be- book is sold in France, the free cir- PP: How worried are you that businesses of all types about what ing part of the [EU] Customs Union culation of goods in the EU and the the UK’s decision to leave the EU the future holds–not least what means there will be delays. “exhaustion of rights” mean that might encourage other countries happens in 2019. We don’t want a situation where it could eventually also be sold in to follow suit? PP: In what ways might Brexit publishers are having their books, Ireland and in the UK. After Brexit, AB: I’m a true European, so I be better for UK publishers? along with everything else, sitting it will still be possible to sell that do worry about populist political SL: The real opportunities for in docks in various parts of the EU book in Ireland, but no longer in parties using Europe as a punch- UK publishers are potentially going waiting for clearance. There are the UK. ing ball. The European Union is a to come from strengthened trade costs associated with that. At the legislative level . . . the hard act to sell, especially as when agreements with other parts of the And also, bluntly, the bigger UK has very often been a motor things go wrong, national politi- world. We want to see the UK gov- danger is that publishers—partic- to a positive approach to licens- cians tend to blame Brussels, the ernment taking the opportunity to ularly those large publishers—seek ing . . . Without the UK, it’s unclear EU. The votes in the Netherlands, strike new free trade agreements, to move their operations to parts whether this approach will have Austria, and France have shown to go around the world banging of Europe where they wouldn’t the same impetus. that even if people are not fully the drum for British publishing and have to face that. PP: Is there a danger that fewer satisfied with the EU, they didn’t the value of IP in the wider sector, PP: You said Brexit could be an European books will be translated choose parties wanting to part and for opening up some of those opportunity for the UK to create into English because of a decline in from it. It’s therefore not a fatality. countries, like China, which still stronger copyright rules. Can you EU-funded translation grants? Plus, Brexit might have played have restrictions on how UK pub- expand on this? AB: You mean even fewer trans- the role of an electric shock for the lishers can operate. SL: Successive ministers of all lations into English. Well, if the UK other Europeans. PP: In what ways might Brexit political parties [talk] about how is no longer party to the European That being said, we are abso- be worse for UK publishers? wonderful the UK’s creative indus- Cultural program (Creative Eu- lutely in despair over Brexit. SL: The biggest danger is what tries are. Well, now they really have rope), this is probably rather bad PP: In general, what’s the view happens in relation to freedom a chance to put their money where news for translations. in Europe of the UK’s decision? of movement. One of the reasons their mouths are post-Brexit and The exceptionally low level of AB: Sad, sad, sad. What else can why we’ve been so successful as actually make sure that both pub- translated works in the UK is also you say? an industry is because we’re able lishers and the wider creative in- a reflection of the appetite of the It’s a democratic vote and the to attract the best talent, the best dustries in this country are able to British readership for these works. majority chose to say goodbye. minds. Many publishing companies properly protect their content and Will this change with Brexit? We’re deeply regretting it, but we have cross-European ownership really be a shining light to the rest PP: Are you concerned about have to respect the will of the Brit- structures and operational struc- of the world about exactly what the future status of EU workers in ish people. We hope our respective tures, and they need to be able to happens when you do that. • the UK? negotiators and governments will access the right talent, particularly AB: Creative industries, and in find the best possible solutions. •

14 PUBLISHING PERSPECTIVES / FRANKFURT BOOK FAIR 2017 LATIN AMERICA

50 Independent South American Publishers Showcased at Frankfurt

Looking for the next Gabriel García Márquez? The Reading Island exhibition of emerging writers from Latin American writers might be the place to find a hidden gem.

By Adam Critchley Guido Indij, publisher of La Marca Editora This is the first time ifty independent South Amer- Spanish-language Fican publishers have shipped an exhibition of their work to publishers from the Frankfurt Book Fair this year, forming a “hot list” of titles from Latin America have multiple genres. These titles will banded together be displayed at the Reading Island exhibition (Hall 4.1 D36). as a delegation to The goal is to catch the atten- target the world’s tion of international rights buyers in a collective effort, led by the largest book fair. International Alliance of Indepen- dent Publishers. “The idea was to put together a the exception of Spanish poet and list of our hottest titles of the mo- playwright Federico García Lorca, ment,” says Guido Indij, publisher whose La Casa de Bernarda Alba is of Buenos Aires–based La Marca published by Libros del Fuego in Editora, one of the participating Venezuela. publishers. Among the writers featured “But what do we mean by ‘hot’? and roundtable discussions will the books can be translated into are Argentina’s Julieta Antonelli, The most interesting books of the take place. other languages.” whose Tierra del Fuego is pub- moment,” he tells Publishing Per- The exhibition is supported by This is the first time Span- lished by Alto Pogo, and Buenos spectives. The idea, Indij says, isn’t the Kurt Wolff Foundation, which ish-language publishers from Latin Aires-born Celina Abud, whose to create a Billboard-style chart or promotes diversity in publishing America have banded together as novel Alguien con quien hablar is ranking, but to curate a collection and literature. a delegation to target the world’s published by Crack Up. by having each of the the 50 pub- Indij says that when the call largest book fair, and the potential Also from Colombia: an anthol- lishers contribute one title. went out to publishers to submit benefits are obvious. ogy of 20 of the country’s writ- Publishers from Argentina, a title for the Reading Island, the “This kind of initiative gives us ers who live in the US, edited by Chile, Colombia, Peru, Uruguay, response was very strong. strength as a group of publishers,” Eduardo Márceles Daconte and and Venezuela are participating. “The call has been very suc- he says, “as some of those included published by Collage Editores, as “We’ll see how it goes this year,” cessful. The books are from across are collectives and are very small. a showcase of Colombian con- Indij says, “but the idea is to grow various genres: fiction, nonfiction, In Argentina we’ve seen a boom in temporary fiction. The book may the project next year to include poetry, children’s and YA, and the proliferation of independent serve to feed an increased interest Spain and, possibly in the future, drama and autobiography. And the publishers in recent years, to the in writers from the region by pub- Brazil.” idea is to create visibility for our extent that it would now appear lishers and readers looking for the The Reading Island (or Lesein- publishers in Frankfurt. there are more independent pub- next Gabriel García Márquez. • sel, in German) is part of Frank- “We don’t envisage huge sales,” lishers in the country than there furt’s collective stand for indepen- he says. “But we’re looking for al- are readers.” Visit the Reading Island: dent publishers. The exhibition ternative spaces for our titles and The authors featured are also includes a stage where talks to sell rights in Frankfurt so that emerging, younger writers, with Hall 4.1 D36

PUBLISHING PERSPECTIVES / FRANKFURT BOOK FAIR 2017 15 C

M

Y

CM

MY

CY

CMY

K