Frankfurter Buchmesse 2024: Books strike like printed lightning as ‘imagination peoples the air’
FRANKFURT — Bob Dylan… yeah. The air was thick with rumors that Bob Dylan was at the recent Frankfurter Buchmesse (FBM) in Messe Frankfurt. (Well, “Bob Dylan” himself did tweet about it.)
The man was in town for his “Rough and Rowdy Ways” tour across Europe and the UK during the book fair, and he reportedly wanted to thank Crystal Lake Publishing, which specializes in dark fiction and horror book titles, for publishing Arthur Madden’s cult classic, The Great God Pan.
So, where was Bob? Was he as incognito as Mr. Jones in a fake beard or blonde (on blonde) wig, roaming the Festhalle and Torhaus, getting a bretzel (in lieu of Dunkin’ donuts) from a stand in the agora, asking for directions like a complete unknown, tangled up in books, wanting to pitch a satchel of stories? We may have even crossed paths with him, past the Thames & Hudson booth, the Random House bookstands, or the cocoon-like Frankfurt Pavilion without an iota of a clue.
Salman Rushdie… a double yeah. He is another writer in dire need of disguises, albeit for very different reasons. We heard his FBM Literaturgala talk last year at the Congress Center. Rushdie said that the function of literature is more or less the same at any time: “It’s, first of all, to create beauty. And it’s maybe even more important to create beauty in a time of ugliness. And it’s a place where people can go for beauty, and for joy, and for love, and for many things which wartime obliterates.”
Jose Rizal… you bet. His presence (in spirit, of course) was also palpable at the Philippine stand in the fair. During his talk with Philippine literary icon Butch Dalisay, which was moderated by Sarge Lacuesta at the International Pavilion, historian Ambeth Ocampo described Rizal—a traveler, a writer, a bookworm, someone who thirsted for knowledge—as “the poster boy of the Philippine participation in the Frankfurt Book Fair.” More on that in another article, where we’ll also cover the plans of the relevant agencies as the Philippines takes on the Guest-of-Honour (GoH) mantle in next year’s Buchmesse.
We’re admittedly stoked to be invited once again by the Office of Senator Loren Legarda (OSL), the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), and the National Book Development Board (NBDB) to the Woodstock or Glastonbury of the publishing world, where you can spot everyone—your favorite authors, perhaps (as long as they’re not Dylan or Salman); artists and industry types; readers and dreamers; as well as cool cosplayers (from Vampire Hunter D and Vocaloid characters to German fairy tale figures). The opening ceremony for the 76th FBM at the Congress Center’s Harmonie Hall was also noticeably more cordial—as compared to last year when Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Zizek got into a fiery verbal tussle while onstage with a man in attendance, Anti-Semitism commissioner Uwe Becker. There were hissing and huffing on opening night when an Italian speaker took the stage, but otherwise, things went swimmingly.
We are born, and we crawl like caterpillars, but within us, we carry the ability to fly. Great literature is about this very metamorphosis, about the wings that we all have, even if we no longer know we have them.
Juergen Boos, president and CEO of the Frankfurter Buchmesse GmbH, asked, “In a time dominated by conflicts and crises, what good is reading and what is the role of a book fair?” He afterwards shared what author Elif Shafak said during the opening press conference on how literature should be an act of hope, an act of resistance—not through violence—but by reminding ourselves that we’re all human. Boos continued, “Rushdie (also said) that what is special about literature is that it has no use and it doesn’t have to be useful. But it can inspire us, make us think, make us laugh, make us cry, make us mad. It brings us closer to other people and sometimes it drives us apart. (Ultimately) it brings out the humanity in us.”
The FBM executive concluded how the Frankfurt Book Fair is a platform for peaceful and democratic discourse for authors, thinkers, illustrators, translators, publishers, journalists, and fans of culture from all over the world. Most people in the world would agree: a book in hand —creased, weathered, stained, torn—holds far more value than a terabyte of PDFs in the ether. Undoubtedly, reading transports us to other places, emboldens us to think, and mandates us to dream.
With Italy as this year’s GoH under the theme “Roots in the Future,” three Italian writers took the stage: philosopher Stefano Zechhi, physicist Carlo Rovelli and author Susanna Tamaro.
Zechhi touched on Goethe, Ivan Karamazov and how beauty is essential to human life—something we cannot live without, and as a counter to the nihilism and indifference of modern society. He argued that true beauty is rooted in spirituality, empathy and the courage to embrace differences, which ultimately fosters tolerance and democracy. “Creating beauty is not the exclusive privilege of artists or scientists working for humanity’s good. It is also present in the quiet, anonymous work of so many everyday heroes who help others. That’s also beauty.”
“Please write books that teach us how to stop the current madness,” pleaded Rovelli. He urged the book community to rise to its civilizing role, fostering intelligence, compassion, and the spirit of a shared destiny. He believes that books can be the roots of a better world and implores writers and publishers to create and promote literature that advocates for peace, understanding, and unity. “I have mostly written about science, and in my books, I have tried to illustrate how science changes and modifies our understanding of reality. But I believe all books do that—from Mickey Mouse to Noam Chomsky. The space of what is possible keeps changing around us, and because of that, books guide our actions and determine our destiny.”
The most striking piece undoubtedly was the one delivered by Tamaro.
She expressed a critique of contemporary life, where humanity is drowning in words, disconnected from wisdom and silence. The writer warned of a world moving toward chaos and cruelty, despite promises of progress. In this setting, literature—represented by Dante’s Divine Comedy— stands as a beacon of transformation, inviting readers to rise above superficiality. Contrasted with the escapism of Pinocchio, where people are lured into a “land of toys,” literature is the antithesis of toy land because it demands commitment. “We forgot that our life is a path of continuous transformation. We are born, and we crawl like caterpillars, but within us, we carry the ability to fly. Great literature is about this very metamorphosis, about the wings that we all have, even if we no longer know we have them.”
Undeniably, it’s about yearning for a beauty we cannot see.
Tamaro concluded, “Only wisdom can make us look up from our tablets and PCs and raise our eyes to the heavens, allowing us to echo within the extraordinary words with which The Divine Comedy ends: ‘Love keeps the sky and the stars in motion.’”
And our love of books kept us moving from hall to hall at the Messe Frankfurt, hoping to find formerly-out-of-print or long-sought-after titles, some funky tote bags, Bob Dylan, or that one book to accompany us as the world burns.
