October 11, 2026

Guten Tag, Frankfurt

Despite a reconfigured layout and lighter foot traffic, attendees told PW that this year’s Frankfurt Book Fair still facilitated plenty of dealmaking and provided a platform for major announcements. Canadian software company Valsoft acquired Firebrand Technologies in a deal that brings the two leading digital galley distribution platforms, Edelweiss and NetGalley, under one banner. A new PEN America report found nearly 12,000 instances of book removals in U.S. school districts last academic year, a record high, with Texas behind the vast majority of cases. And Anne Carson won the 2026 Nobel Prize for Literature for her genre-defying oeuvre.

Outgoing Frankfurt Book Fair director Juergen Boos (l.), U.S. historian Jill Lepore (c.), and chair of the Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels Sebastian Guggolz (r.) were photographed after the opening press conference of the fair on October 6, during which Lepore urged publishers to “declare independence” from Big Tech.

Photo by Gian-Luca Heiser

Frankfurt Book Fair 2026: New Layout, Lighter Traffic, and, Of Course, Lots of Deals

The closure of Hall 6 at this year’s fair was a mixed bag for publishers, with some getting an upgrade and others quite the opposite. Still, the mood was buoyant and business was on track. more

Canada’s Valsoft Acquires Firebrand Group

As a result of the deal, the two major digital platforms that distribute ARCs—NetGalley and Edelweiss—will now be under the same owner. A purchase price was not disclosed. more

Book Bans Hit Unprecedented High in 2025–26 School Year, PEN Report Shows

At least 7,370 unique titles were removed from public schools across the U.S. in the last academic year, according to the new report, as administrators in states such as Texas and Florida increasingly use AI to generate lists of “obscene” books. more

Anne Carson Wins 2026 Nobel Prize for Literature

The Canadian poet, essayist, and classicist has been recognized by the Swedish Academy “for her bold and inventive oeuvre that, in playful dialogue with the classical tradition, has created new forms for contemporary literature.” more

More News

JobZone

SEND US TIPS

SUBMIT A PHOTO

SUBMIT JOB MOVES

Send editorial questions about this e-newsletter to Sophia Stewart.
Send advertising questions about this e-newsletter to Joe Murray.

For additional assistance, contact us by email or at the address below.

Publishers Weekly,
49 West 23rd Street
Ninth Floor
New York, NY 10010
Phone 212-377-5500

Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Get your own FREE newsletter subscriptions.

Email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser.

You are receiving this email because npkvdejmf6@nie.podam.pl subscribed to one of Publishers Weekly's newsletters. If you are not npkvdejmf6@nie.podam.pl, then please disregard this message. Update your newsletter preferences here.

PW takes spam very seriously. This email message meets all the requirements of the United States CAN-SPAM Act and Canada's Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL). To remove yourself from the Must Reads email list, unsubscribe.