The increase in English-language exports driven by BookTok, the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on rights and audiobook trends are among the topics of the specialist programme of the Frankfurt Book Fair from 16 to 24 October 2024.
The 76th Book Fair will include conferences, workshops and talks on a range of topics affecting the industry. Recent book fairs have seen an increased presence of television and film producers, and the 2024 Frankfurt Fair will have a focus on book adaptations. The Book-to-Screen Day on October 18 will give filmmakers the opportunity to discover new books and connect with publishing professionals.
The Children’s Book Fair in Bologna and the Frankfurt Book Fair are also expanding their offerings to include games. Both fairs will have a new Games Business Centre that will connect publishers with the games industry.
AI plays a big role in this year’s program. The events will explore how publishers can use AI for “smarter publishing” and what the “roots of responsible AI” are.
In addition, Sara Lloyd, Group Communications Director and Global AI Lead at Pan Macmillan, will speak at the Rights Meeting 2024 about developments in this area, new forms of licensing and the impact of AI on running a rights business.
Also at the Rights Meeting, Lisanne Mathijssen, senior editor at HarperCollins Holland, will talk about the rise in exports to English, “fuelled by trends like #BookTok”.
The English-language program of the Publishing Perspectives Forum will take place in the Frankfurt Studio. David Shelley, CEO of Hachette Book Group US and Hachette UK, and Arnaud Nourry, CEO and founder of the new group Les Nouveaux Éditeurs, will talk separately with Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief of Publish perspectives Magazine.
The growth of the audiobook market will also be highlighted at the fair, which will offer an audio section that is almost twice as large this year compared to 2023. In addition to leading companies such as Audible and Spotify, new companies will also be represented.
The full program can be viewed online.
