International News

FRANKFURT AM MAIN, Oct 8, 2017 (APP/AFP) -:Margaret Atwood, Dan Brown and Nicholas Sparks are among the big names descending on Frankfurt this week as
the world’s oldest book fair glams up for the Instagram generation, hoping to
wow the crowds with “live events” by star authors.
And with France as this year’s guest country it’s not just writers who are
getting top billing: President Emmanuel Macron is set to formally open the fair
with Chancellor Angela Merkel on Tuesday, accompanied by a who’s-who of the
French literary scene.
After last year’s edition focused on ways for publishers to tap into new
technologies such as virtual reality and 3D printing, organisers this year are
going back to basics, putting the spotlight back on writers and their readers.
“There’s a desire to see authors, to experience them in real life,” the
fair’s spokeswoman Katja Boehne told reporters ahead of the five-day event,
expected to attract over 270,000 visitors.
“The book is more alive than ever,” Boehne said, describing a growing trend
of fans queuing to see their favourite author in a “pop concert-like”
atmosphere.
Legendary Canadian novelist Margaret Atwood, whose 1985 dystopian novel
“The Handmaid’s Tale” is now a successful TV show, will be among the top draws
in Frankfurt where she will be presented with the German book trade’s “peace
prize” for her prescient body of work.