...or, when it comes to the Leipzig Book Fair: visitors and readers. This year, a total of 296,000 attendees embarked on a journey of literary discovery – 13,000 more than last year. The trade fair once again sent a strong message about the importance of books – especially in print.
“Leipzig Book Fair countered the challenges in the industry and society with a passion for reading and a love of debate. The halls were abuzz with book fans of every age celebrating literature and its diversity. The book and creative industries fuel important social and political debates, backing them up with facts. Together, we showed: We are helping shape the future of our democracy,” says Karin Schmidt-Friderichs, President of
the German Publishers and Booksellers Association.
Once again, the Leipzig Book Fair was the first highlight of the German book year, a lively meeting point for readers, authors, booksellers and publishers. This was obvious not just in the crowded aisles, but also in the infinitely long lines at the entrance. With 2,040 exhibitors from 45 countries and a double-digit increase in space, the Leipzig Book Fair has once more positioned itself as a key platform uniting different opinions and perspectives. But the German book industry desperately needed positive signals, as sales figures decreased by 1.7 percent in 2024. The slight increase in revenue of 0.9 percent can only be explained by higher retail prices.
“It was great to see just how much euphoria books unleash, how they bring people together. As a place to connect, discuss and discover, the Leipzig Book Fair plays a key role in Germany – on topics such as artificial intelligence and audio, for example, which we showcased with fresh new formats. Strong interest in the book fair shows how important analog experiences still are,” says Astrid Böhmisch, Director of the
Leipzig Book Fair.
A home for all manga, anime and comic fans
Thousands of manga comic con fans once again came together in halls 1 and 3, including numerous cosplayers dressed in elaborate costumes, enjoying time spent with like-minded people. For those unfamiliar: A cosplayer is someone who dresses up as a character from an anime, manga, computer game or movie. Highlights included awards for the Leipzig Cosplay Competition and the first-ever Cosplay Performance Championship in Germany.
Frederik Eikmeier, Sales, Rowohlt Verlag GmbH, who also sees the trade fair as a gauge for spring releases, commented: “You see that books are very alive and the audience very diverse – from young to old, you’ll find people of all ages at the Leipzig Book Fair. Books with beautiful designs are in high demand. Romance is a big trend here, and the community wants to set the scene at the booth and with the books for social media. This is even more deeply rooted in Leipzig due to the connection with the manga comic con.”
AI will change the book industry either way
One topic that could not be escaped in Leipzig was artificial intelligence. Many creative minds fear for their intellectual property, according to Katharina Uppenbrink from Initiative Urheberrecht. This authors’ rights initiative demands clear regulations from the German federal government and the European Union. AI may be capable of analyzing large volumes of data and generating new works, but it can’t replace the creative energy that comes from the human imagination and life experience, Uppenbrink emphasizes.
Replacing texts, music or images with AI threatens existences. This is a problem that illustrators are already struggling with, says Jürgen Gawron from
Illustratoren Organisation e. V. Online, pieces are at the mercy of bots and crawlers, accessing them without consent. AI image generators are causing a surplus available at the click of a button. While real illustrators understand the power of images, image generators deliver totally arbitrary results, explains Jürgen Gawron, worried.
Predicting sales success
Researcher Patrick Krauss is certain that AI will change the market for books – both in terms of the writing process and sales. Tools like “
demandsens”, designed to predict the economic success of books, could help the industry to respond better and faster to reader interests, trends and demand. However, at the same time there is a risk of more uncommon, discerning topics remaining underrepresented when the focus is on economic success. Publishing houses will have to strike a balance. AI-powered summaries or podcasts are a good opportunity to spark people’s enthusiasm for literature.
Europe’s biggest celebration of reading
The use of AI presents opportunities and risks that cannot be reined in entirely with statutory regulations. All the more reason why heedfulness and transparency are needed in handling the existing and, above all, future possibilities of AI. The Leipzig Book Fair shows that personal exchange between authors and readers remains at the forefront: This was made possible by 3,000 contributors at more than 330 reading venues, transforming Leipzig into Europe’s biggest celebration of reading.
Yours,
Knud Wassermann,
Editor-in-Chief of Graphische Revue