Frankfurt Book Fair Roundup with The Bookseller

	FRANKFURT BOOK FAIR ROUND-UP
Deals sealed, books bought, and a move to a new hall – this year’s Frankfurt Book Fair was as busy as ever, and we’ve got all the news in one place for you to digest now that the fair has ended. This year’s fair embraced change, with publishers and agents largely welcoming the new layout, and reporting a busy, business-like week, with strong translation rights trading in key categories. Among the most talked-about session of the fair was the “C.E.O Talk” featuring Profile's Andrew Franklin, who said that the atmosphere in some large publishing houses is "toxic" as imprints are forced to compete against each other for big titles. Meanwhile, in his “C.E.O. Talk” Hachette boss Arnaud Nourry warned that Google is "even more aggressive" than Amazon when it comes to control over the pricing of content. Author Salman Rushdie spoke at the opening ceremony of the fair, saying freedom of speech is not just a human right but a “universal of the human race” which must be defended. The difficulty in the fight is “that publishers and writers are not warriors, we have not tanks”, he said, “but it falls to us to hold the line”. Iran said it boycotted the fair over Rushdie’s appearance, with a lone Iranian publisher at the Iranian collective stand telling The Bookseller that he “wanted to come to tell everyone why Iran is boycotting the fair”. Following Marlon James’ Man Booker Prize win, offers started "flooding in from around the world" for foreign rights to A Brief History of Seven Killings (Oneworld). Despite the recent news that subscription service Oyster is to shut next year, publishers were still signing up to other services, including Mofibo, which said it closed content deals with publishers at the fair and continued to enter new territories. The European Commission’s Gunther Oettinger told the fair that the organisation has no plans to weaken copyright, but wants a "targeted" and "balanced" reform with concrete benefits for consumers and right holders. And of course, let's not forget the books. There were big deals for a memoir by Ai Weiwei, a book by comedian Amy Schumer, more novels from MP Nadine Dorries, and for debut author Gail Honeyman. Canongate signed new books by Matt Haig, while HarperCollins announced Sophie Hannah would write a second Hercule Poirot novel, and Joanne Harris signed a deal with Gollancz for a fairytale. You can browse all the news from the fair in The Bookseller’s FBF section.
More from the fair Jonasson’s Hitman to HC HarperCollins has snapped up world English rights the latest novel by Jonas Jonasson.
Irish star Ryan Tubridy and illustrator P J Lynch pen JFK picture book Walker Books has signed Irish TV presenter Ryan Tubridy and two-time Kate Greenaway Award winner P J Lynch for a picture book based around John F Kennedy’s seminal trip to Ireland in 1963.
Perry picks her Poison Hodder & Stoughton editor Anne Perry has snapped up two fantasy/crime novels, described as "a cross between Ben Aaronovitch and Lauren Beukes".
Lost Things found in seven territories Ruth Hogan’s début, a “perfect book-club read”, has hit a lucky seven in foreign rights sales with publishers acquiring before and during this year’s fair.
W&N goes to Jamaica Weidenfeld & Nicolson fiction publisher Kirsty Dunseath has bought a “magical and haunting novel set in the underbelly of Jamaica” by Kei Miller.
Michael Joseph takes Douglas duo Maxine Hitchcock, Michael Joseph publishing director, bought two novels at auction by Claire Douglas, whose début psychological thriller was published by HarperCollins this year.