For American Agents, It’s Another Year of Managing the Frankfurt Book Fair from Home

Like most Americans in the international literary rights community, Baror-Shapiro is skipping Frankfurt this year. And though she has no concerns about getting her job done, she, like most, is hopeful that an in-person event is on the horizon. When that will come, however, is anyone's guess.

For Baror-Shapiro and other agents and rights professionals, work for this year's Frankfurt, which is taking place in person beginning October 20, is largely being done via Zoom. Business that usually happens at the endless line of tables in the rights center at the show, or in cafés and bars near the Frankfurt fairgrounds, is being conducted via video chats. For many, this year was about improving upon existing approaches to selling foreign rights virtually.