When it comes to book fairs, literature lovers think of Frankfurt or Leipzig first. But Thuringia also has something to offer - the book days, which attract visitors again after a forced two-year break.
Erfurt (dpa/th) - Those who were hungry for reading had to do without the Thuringian Book Days for two years because of the corona pandemic. Now they can browse the stands of publishers and come to readings again. On Friday (10:00 a.m.) the tenth edition of the Thuringian Book Days will open in Erfurt. Up to and including Saturday, 30 publishers will present their programmes, 15 authors and creative people as well as other institutions from the literary world will be there. Last but not least, the trade fair is also aimed at libraries. In the years before the forced Corona break, she regularly attracted between 3,000 and 4,000 guests.
Because the Leipzig Book Fair, which is important in the industry, was canceled this year due to Corona, the restart of the Thuringian Book Days is particularly important, explained State Secretary for Economic Affairs Carsten Feller in advance. "This means that the book days are gaining in importance for the whole of central Germany," he said. The program is more extensive, the events extended to the city center of Erfurt. Feller therefore assumes that there will be more visitor interest than before the pandemic - with free admission. The Economics Ministry is supporting the event this year with 50,000 euros.
According to information from the ministry and the stock exchange association, 90 publishers are based in Thuringia, of which around 40 are currently active. In 2020, the book market contributed around 40 percent to the total turnover of 936 million euros in the cultural and creative industries.
