Frankfurt Book Fair to open - Catalan speakers grab limelight

Frankfurt - As publishers unpacked books Tuesday for the October 10-14 Frankfurt Book Fair, organizers soothed resentments caused by an official display on Catalan language and literature. The Spanish region of Catalonia has set up a 1.3-million-euro special exhibition on books at the Fair in Catalan, leaving out writing in Spanish, which is also widely spoken in the bilingual region. Coming from 110 nations, a record 7,448 exhibitors will show off their wares at the world's biggest annual book show. Publishers were to give opening speeches Tuesday evening and the fair was to open its doors Wednesday morning to visitors. The fairgrounds were still packed with carpenters and trucks on Tuesday with many likely to work into the night to be ready on time. Book Fair chief executive Juergen Boos told reporters he expected more than 280,000 visitors. 'It is high time for the publishing industry to face up to the change in the market and get fit for the digital future in publishing,' he said. Boos said the future 'has arrived,' with publishers already earning income from digitalized books which were sold as 'content' rather than as printed things to be taken home from a shop. He voiced regret that authors from Catalonia who write in Spanish, not Catalan, had chosen to boycott the special exhibition. The Fair has chosen Catalan Culture this year as its 'special guest,' a status normally reserved for sovereign nations. That has raised resentments in the long rivalry between the two languages. The 1.3-million-euro special exhibition of historic Catalan books and printing has a focus on past bans on the Catalan language, in 1714 and 1939, and its struggle to survive in the face of Spanish. Catalonia is the most prosperous part of Spain. Boos said, 'I am sorry that we don't have the complete range of Catalan culture here,' but added that he expected some of the Spanish writers to come to Frankfurt anyway, even if it was not under the aegis of the special-guest programme. He said those who had stayed away were motivated by 'a mixture of nationalism, regional rivalries, individual vanity and a desire to let younger, less-well-known authors into the spotlight.' © 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur

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Miquel ÀngelOct 13th, 2007 - 16:22:23

I'm not sure you really understans wath the Fair means for my country (Catalan Lands -that includes Catalonia, Balearic Islans, el País Valencià, NOrthern Catalonia, Andorra and l'Alguer).
You have to think that, for instance, in France catalana language has been aparted from official circles, and that, for instance int the tiny village of Alghero people who speaks in catalan has realy problems living in that town. For 300 years Spain and France had been battleing to make catalan desapeare. So, for us Frankfurt is a windows to the world. Nothing else, nothing more.

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