The Myths of Frankfurt

by Karen Holt, PW Daily -- Publishers Weekly, 10/24/2005

As the frenzy of the Frankfurt Book Fair started to wind down over the weekend, a party that reminded people of what the fair can accomplish was held at the Literaturhaus to mark the launch of The Myths Series.

A multi-national audience was in attendance as Margaret Atwood led a lineup of literary heavyweights who were on hand to give the series an appropriate start. The series-dreamed up at the Frankfurt Book Fair several years ago by four publishers including Grove's Morgan Entrekin and Canongate's Jamie Byng--features books by prominent authors re-imagining the myths of their choice. It has grown to include 32 publishers, who continue to recruit authors for the series.

The first four books in the series, including Atwood's The Penelopiad will be published next month. The kickoff event also included Myths Series authors Karen Armstrong, David Grossman and Jeanette Winterson.

Despite the stuffiness of the packed room and the general Frankfurt fatigue settling in, the authors managed to charm the hundreds who came out for the event, as they talked and joked and read from their work. Afterward, the champagne and fried finger food flowed during a buffet dinner reception that gave the crowd a chance to steal a few minutes of the authors' attention.

A re-reading party didn't go quite as smoothly. Winterson, not understanding that a party she'd been invited to was being thrown in her honor, decided at the last minute to send her regrets, turn off her phone and indulge in a little down time. Her reps at William Morris had to show up at her hotel room to retrieve her for the gathering. In the end, she was merely fashionably late.