At the Frankfurt Trade Fair grounds and digitally, Canadian culture – not just books – will be highlighted under the theme Singular Plurality, a nod to the country’s eclecticism and multiculturalism.DANIEL ROLAND/AFP/Getty Images
Though Canada is the official Guest of Honour at this year’s Frankfurt Book Fair, as recently as last month it was still undetermined if any of the country’s authors and illustrators would physically attend what will be a mostly virtual event with a scaled-down books-and-mortar component.
“If there’s an in-person presence, it’s like the cherry on the sundae,” Jennifer-Ann Weir, associate executive director of Canadian Frankfurt Book Market 2021 (Canada FBM2021), told The Globe and Mail last month.
It has now been revealed that Canada will indeed have authors on the ground at Frankfurter Buchmesse, billed as largest event of its kind worldwide. It was announced this week that nine Canadian authors would be in Germany for readings and interactive appearances at the 73rd annual edition of the fair.
Those making the trip are Quebec’s Michel Jean, Dany Laferrière, Catherine Mavrikakis and Kim Thúy; Newfoundland’s Michael Crummey; Saskatchewan’s Paul Seesequasis; British Columbia’s Nancy Vo; Alberta’s Vivek Shraya and Ontario’s Canisia Lubrin.
At the Frankfurt Trade Fair grounds and digitally, Canadian culture – not just books – will be highlighted under the theme Singular Plurality, a nod to the country’s eclecticism and multiculturalism.
An additional 50 or so Canadians will take part via virtual events or through pre-recorded programming presented at the Canada Pavilion in Frankfurt and at other events in Germany. Among them are Lee Maracle, Margaret Atwood, Tanya Tagaq, Michel Tremblay and author and Globe and Mail columnist Tanya Talaga.
One of the biggest cultural events on the European calendar, the fair is considered the Cannes for book people and the international hub of the publishing world for five days, running this year from Oct. 20 to 24.
Canada’s featured role has been some eight years in the making, involving the Department of Canadian Heritage and Canadian publishers and book exporters.
Canada’s literary talent was to be spotlighted in 2020, but when COVID-19 hit, the guest-of-honour designation was pushed to 2021, particularly given that last year’s fair was strictly an online event. For the past two years, Canada FBM2021 has been introducing its delegation of 60 or so authors and illustrators to the German market through virtual programming and promotional initiatives. Now, with the nine authors slated to appear in person, a more human element emerges, Weir says. “It puts writers in touch with readers physically for the first time since 2019 and creates a space to exchange in the real world.”
Canadian Heritage could not yet confirm whether Canada would be represented in Frankfurt by Heritage Minister Stephen Guilbeault, who held the portfolio prior to the recent federal election, or any other senior officials.
In the context of the pandemic and wariness over non-essential travel, Canada FBM2021 surveyed delegation members on their comfort level with attending the fair. “When I was approached a few months ago, I said that as long as I was double-vaxxed, I was quite happy to go,” said novelist-poet Crummey, speaking from St. John’s. “I’m pretty gung-ho.”
Beyond promoting its literary scene, Canada will present a broader cultural program throughout Germany. A projection presented by the National Film Board of Canada involves an “artistic quilt” created from some 60 films and archival excerpts from the NFB, as well as an animation created by artist Carey Newman honouring Indigenous children who were forced into the residential-school system. A street in Berlin will be awash with quotes from Canadian authors, while the touring Maple Movies Festival will celebrate cinematic adaptations of Canadian literature.
Still, the fair is about selling books. “Hopefully this will give me a bump,” said Crummey, who has had two of his books translated and published in Germany over the past year.
“It’s nice to be going at a time when Canada is in the spotlight, rather than just showing up in this sea of people and being more or less invisible. And with only nine of us going, I assume we’ll be busy.”
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Brad Wheeler