How did you learn about Books Across Borders, which helps booksellers attend international events?

BAB receives support from the American Booksellers Association, so their fellowships were on my mind. I’d applied a few years in a row. This was probably my only opportunity to attend Frankfurt through someone else’s kindness. I don’t think I’d otherwise ever find the time in October.

Why attend the fair?

The fellowship gives booksellers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to understand the scope of international literature, often from countries they wouldn’t even think about on a day-to-day basis, and connect with massive cultural organizations and nonprofits.

From a bookstore perspective, what’s the utility of visiting Frankfurt?


I represent one account in the Pacific Northwest, so the fair isn’t directly advantageous to my business. It’s much more about meeting publishers in a special space and connecting with booksellers from across the world.

What programming proved most beneficial?

I attended sessions about bookselling in European countries, and RISE Bookselling held a panel on their survey of reading habits and why people shop in person. From a consumer behavior standpoint, that data directly affects my work.

What Frankfurt experiences were most meaningful for you?

I got to see BAB president Michael Reynolds, publisher of Europa Editions. And I had a conversation about one of my favorite Romanian authors, Mircea Cărtărescu, with a Romanian bookseller—in English, since I don’t speak Romanian. It’s like a UN, but for literature.