The German Publishers and Booksellers Association, the organization that oversees the Frankfurt Book Fair, has raised €21,000 ($22,000) for aid projects to support Ukrainians impacted by the Russian invasion of their country. Now the fair, together with the Ukrainian Booksellers and Publishers Association (UBPA), has launched an international campaign to raise more funds. Money can be donate via PayPal to ukraine-toloka@boev.de or via the PayPal website and will be delivered directly to the UBPA.
"The Frankfurt Book Fair has maintained close contacts with the Ukrainian book industry for many years. We want to support our Ukrainian colleagues right now, while they are withstanding the Russian attack,” said Juergen Boos, director of Frankfurt Book Fair. “As the annual meeting place of the international publishing industry, it is important to us to give the Ukrainian book industry global visibility. The commitment, openness and creativity of the Ukrainian publishing and bookselling scene have made a lasting impression on us. Several of our employees are currently in direct contact with Ukrainian colleagues. Through our joint fundraising campaign and many other initiatives, we want to show our unconditional solidarity with the people of Ukraine."
In addition to raising funds, the fair will be offering the members of the Ukrainian Book Institute a free booth during this year’s fair. Frankfurt has also collected a display of Ukrainian books that will be presented as part of the German collective stands at upcoming book fairs in Warsaw and Prague.
These latest developments are part of an ongoing campaign by Frankfurt to support Ukrainian publishing. Recently, Olia Zhuk, deputy director for contemporary art and museum affairs of the Mystetskyi Arsenal Museum in Kyiv, curated several days of stories on Frankfurt’s official Instagram account, which remain available for viewing. All aid projects and initiatives of the Frankfurt Book Fair and its international partners can be found on online.
