April 2001 - Nr. 4
Publishers Predict New Era of Reading
TWIG - The Leipzig Book Fair opened on an upbeat note this year, as industry experts announced readers are buying more books than they did in the 1990s. "After years of very little movement in sales figures, a slight rise of 2 percent in the year 2000 leaves us poised for better developments," reported Roland Ulmer, president of the Association of German Publishers and Booksellers, shortly before welcoming exhibitors and guests to the fair on Wednesday (March 21). More than 1,900 publishers from over two dozen countries are displaying their spring lists in Leipzig this week, while authors from around the world take part in readings, book signings, and other literary events throughout the city.
The growing market for children’s and young adult books has given the industry a needed boost, according to Ulmer, who sees the World Wide Web as a positive force for book sales. "The culture of reading is in transition, with the Internet we’re on the way to a new society of readers," said Ulmer. Studies show people are not necessarily reading as often as they used to, but the number of books they read has increased by 5 percent to between 6 and 20 per year. About a third of German booksellers expect to see good to very good sales in 2001.
While publishers and booksellers cut deals at the fair, writers and readers will mingle in the city’s cafes, pubs, libraries, bookstores and theatres during the literary festival "Leipzig Reads." A highlight of the program this year is the series "European Transfer," in which American writers Louis Begley, Robert Coover, Francine Prose, Stewart O’Nan and others will read passages from their work about their encounters with Europe. German writers Christoph Hein, Stefan Heym and Frido Mann, grandson of Thomas Mann, are also among the 900 guests who have been invited to read. A nationally broadcast radio program featuring books on tape has been scheduled to coincide with the festival. ( news / culture )
