My visit to the recent October 2014 Frankfurt Book Fair shed light on a new reality, one that we as active participants in the Middle East’s cultural activities should take in consideration and use when attempting to draft our future plan.My visit to Frankfurt Book Fair comes amidst a new economic reality in the
Middle East, a reality that dictates on people involved in anything related to the book business a need to examine extensively the major sales trends and fluctuations. The situation in the Middle East is undoubtedly quite volatile, and recording trends is crucial at times of economic instability in order to maintain our existing book publishing related businesses.
This said, I would like to point out that my visit to Frankfurt Book Fair gave me some insight as to a number of trends that I wish share with you. First and foremost, I noticed that while authors and journalists use their creativity and intellectual thinking, publishers and investors in the book and periodicals business can only afford at this point of tough competition to think in terms of profits and financial revenues Readers from the Middle East as well as those deal- Middle Fast are not only using their minds, actually at this point they are using intensively their emotions and targeting others emotions.
I detected from this year’s Frankfurt Book Fair that world re-known publishers have progressed and taken wide steps in the shift to electronic publishing . Printed publications are in serious competition, and are literally in the grey danger zone,
on their way to becoming obsolete.
Undoubtedly, The Middle East is becoming the field work not only for international politics and conflict, it is becoming the butter and bread for a lot of researchers and professionals. As the Middle East’s story gets more complicated by the day, publications covering the region are becoming best sellers, and a lucrative business for international publishers, agents and international book stores. On the other hand, I also noticed that children books and child education publications occupy almost 50% of Frankfurt Book Fair book shelves. Interest in the world’s new generations seem to be gaining momentum.
Demand on everything targeting child education, school curricula, and study strategies is on the rise notably, actually more than previous years. I also found out that love, mystery, science fiction, and magic novels are highly in demand; reflecting a need to escape reality with all its hardships and insecurities.
Visiting Frankfurt Book Fair this year and walking down its aisles, and inbetween its book stands, I felt as if I’m holding a mirror; a mirror that’s reflecting clearly this year’s realities and multiple tensions, all major events and triumphs. I very much felt this year more than any previous year that the Frankfurt Book Fair’s glaring eyes are staring at me as if it recognized me as a Middle Eastern, smiled at me with teary eyes, and disbelief.
