India Leads the World in Literary Events, Says Frankfurt Book Fair Official

India hosts the most book fairs globally, says Frankfurt Book Fair VP Claudia Kaiser, highlighting India's vibrant literary scene and global publishing ties.

on Feb 07, 2025

India hosts the highest number of book fairs and literary events globally, according to Claudia Kaiser, vice-president of business development at the Frankfurt Book Fair. She has traveled extensively across Asia, Africa, and the Arab world and observed that "every city in India—Pune, Jaipur, Kolkata, Delhi, Chennai, and Bangalore—has a book event."

The Frankfurt Book Fair, the world’s largest publishing trade fair, is primarily a B2B platform rather than a retail selling event. Unlike India’s book fairs, which encourage public participation, Frankfurt's fair permits retail sales only on weekends. Held every October since 1945, it hosts publishers from over 100 countries, including India, which participates through the National Book Trust.

Kaiser, based in Germany and Indonesia, highlights the fair’s role in supporting the global publishing industry, building business opportunities, and publicizing German publishers at international fairs. The Frankfurt-Calcutta connection runs deep—Kolkata's book fair was inspired by the Frankfurt model, with Indian representatives visiting since 1974 before launching their fair in 1976.

Though Germany is the theme country at this year's Kolkata Book Fair, the two fairs have long-standing ties. Frankfurt representatives last visited Kolkata in 1997, the year of the fair’s infamous fire. Talks are now underway to renew exchanges, including reviving Indian publisher visits to Frankfurt starting this October.

"Our aim is to introduce more German titles to Indian publishers and enhance literary collaboration," Kaiser adds.