Pre-Fair-Buzz about tighter security and the fate of director Volker Neumann gave way to a more business-as-usual approach as the 2004 edition of the Frankfurt Book Fair kicked into high gear last week. The increased security measures were due in part to the presence of German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, who spoke at Tuesday night's opening ceremonies. There was also much speculation about whether Neumann, whose contract is not being renewed when it expires at the end of 2005, will be around to orchestrate the 2005 fair.

In his remarks, Schroeder commented at length about the choice of the Arab world as the guest country for the 2004 fair, saying that the West too often views the Arab countries with prejudice and a lack of knowledge. He hoped that at the fair and through books, Westerners gain a greater understanding and appreciation of the Arab world. He called for a political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, saying that a military solution is no solution.

Regarding Neumann's status as lame duck director, fair spokesperson Holger Ehling acknowledged that it is "not an easy situation for anyone," given the tension between him and his bosses at the Boersenverein. Ehling said the fair board "expects Volker to provide [the new director with] guidance." Multiple sources indicate it is unlikely Neumann will head the fair next year, and Neumann himself told PW he doesn't expect to stay in his job too long. Asked what he thought of former fair director Peter Weidhaas's comments that the fair is better off if it remains "independent and moveable," Ehling said, "It certainly helps. It helps if you own your own business. If you have to go through layers of bureaucracy, it slows down your reaction time; you can miss an important opportunity because someone up there doesn't care to allocate the money."

Neumann's departure was a continuing concern to many international publishers, particularly Americans. The AAP's Pat Schroeder said her association is worried about the future direction of the fair. A meeting between Neumann and heads of international publishing trade groups resulted in a warm reception for Neumann as well as concerns about prices after he leaves office, according to someone present there. Speaking of the meeting, Schroeder said that the big fear remains the city buying the fair. "If it happens, there's no leverage," she said. "You have no publisher representation. It just becomes a big commercial enterprise to make the city of Frankfurt green with our money."

When the actual fair began, the early attention went to Jon Stewart's America, which Trident is hoping will translate despite some of its more local references. Other titles drawing interest included The Godfather Returns, which already had solid rights deals in Germany and Spain, while Ira Silverberg was looking to break out the Dutch author Arnon Grunberg, whose newest, The Jewish Messiah, is a bestseller in Holland.

Total attendance was reported at 43,985 on Wednesday and 54,628 on Thursday, both 3% higher than last year. As for exhibitor attendance, the number from the U.S. and the U.K. is down slightly in absolute terms. (The overall number of exhibitors is up about 1%, to 6,691, according to official numbers released by the fair, due mainly, it seems, to a jump in German exhibitors of about 3%.)

Some new, and some newly resurgent, were making appearances in Hall 8.0. Barnes & Noble Books is a big presence, with separate areas inside the Sterling booth touting Classics and Spark Notes—so much so that unsuspecting visitors might not have realized they were gazing into the booth of the U.S.'s biggest bookstore chain.

There were some notable absences among the executive set: David Shanks, Bob Miller, Larry Kirshbaum and Gina Centrello all stayed home. But they were balanced out by several large delegations, such as that at Harcourt, and Frankfurt stalwarts including Jane Friedman, Jack Romanos and Peter Olson.