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Paper short abstract:

What is the purpose of a book fair? Who goes there and why? What do participants do when they get there? This paper is based on fieldwork at the Frankfurt and London book fairs and examines visual aspects of the book trade. Who is looking at books? Who is looking at people looking at books?

Paper long abstract:

What is the purpose of a book fair? Who goes there and why? What do participants do when they get there? This paper is based on fieldwork at the Frankfurt and London book fairs and examines visual aspects of the book trade. Who is looking at books? Who is looking at people looking at books?

Publishers display their books at various different events: academic conferences, library association meetings and international book fairs. Although book fairs differ in their focus, the biggest ones in Frankfurt and London are concerned primarily with the sale of rights. They thus draw publishers, distributors, retailers and associated service personnel (in primarily printing and electronic publishing spheres) who, over a period of between four and five days, gather from around the world in a single venue to meet partners, gather information on publishers' planned offerings, place orders, negotiate translation rights, give feedback on the past year's activities, and so on and so forth.

During these business transactions, face-to-face communication takes place for perhaps the only time in a calendar year. (All other business is conducted by e-mail.) Judgements are made about a potential business partner's reliability and deals are signed. Publishing houses may splash out on receptions of one sort or another, to enable those in the publishing world to gather in more informal conditions to exchange information and gossip. And all the time, participants are reading, as well as being read by, others in their pursuit of books.