The Frankfurt Book Fair was HUGE. I think it would have taken me two weeks to see everything, so the 2.5 days I spent there definitely weren’t enough. But they were more than my shoulders and feet could handle. I thought I had chosen comfortable shoes, but it turns out they’re only comfortable to a point (and it was my first time exceeding that point). When I first arrived, I scoffed at the people walking around with their little wheeled suitcases at the fair. By day 2, I was envious. (A) A shoulder bag can only hold so many books and (B) my shoulders can only handle so much weight. There were a number of great books I just couldn’t take with me, but I am happy with the ones I brought home. Eight for me, 13 for Massimo. Hey, can I help it if kids books are lighter? This week, I plan to write a bit about the fair (the people I met, the books I got, the coolest stands, etc.). I would have been writing all along, except wireless internet at the fair was pricey (as in, “holy cow that’s a lot”) and the friends we stayed with don’t have internet at home (didn’t know I had such friends, honestly). I’ve got photos, too. Stay tuned.
frankfurt recap | 2009 | books, publishing | Tags: books, design, Frankfurt, Frankfurt Book Fair, Germany, messe, publishing, reading | Comments (2)
When I was a teacher and still going to the English teacher conventions, I used to ship my books home, from the Convention Center’s mailing center. It was usually via DHL or UPS. Looking forward to reading your story and hearing your pictures! I think I missed “NY Is Book Country” this year, which makes me sad.
One of the reasons the publishers were selling their books for so little was so that *they* wouldn’t have to ship them home! I think that’s a great idea if you’re in the US, but shipping from country to country (even within the EU) is pricey. Sigh. The books definitely put our luggage over the weight limit, but the airline was nice and didn’t charge us anything. And our carry-on luggage was DEFINITELY over the weight limit. Everything made it back safely, though, which is what matters most!