My Frankfurter Buchmesse Experience (Claretians in Frankfurt)

As the Philippines gears up its preparation for being the Guest of Honor in 2025 at the Frankfurter Buchmesse (FBM) or the Frankfurt International Book Fair, the largest gathering of authors, publishers, and book industry creatives in the world, the Office of Senate President Pro Tempore Loren Legarda, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), and the National Book Development Board (NBDB) through the Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY) offered grant subsidies to more than 40 authors, publishers, and creatives who formed the Philippine delegation. 

The travel grant was an excellent opportunity to experience the most significant book fair, which has existed since the 15th century. The exposure, networking, and encounter with fellow publishers worldwide is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. 

Since 2012, I have arranged and scheduled meetings of our past and present directors with representatives from foreign publishers. For the first time, I joined Fr. Dennis G. Tamayo, CMF, our Executive Director, in this year’s fair and experienced the event myself. It felt surreal that I finally experienced FBM first-hand and met in-person representatives of publishing houses I only communicated with through emails. 

From October 16-20, 2024, Fr. Dennis and I, together with the other delegates, traveled to Frankfurt, Germany, to participate in various events and activities at the fair, to engage in the rights selling and buying with foreign publishers, and to learn from the experiences of the Italian delegation, who was this year’s Guest of Honor.

Being selected as one of the delegates at the FBM 2024 allowed me to understand better how we, a small Catholic publishing house, could further improve the quality of our publication and nurture new and existing relationships with foreign publishers.

On the first day, Fr. Dennis and I met with Peter Cerra and Rachel Kroger, representatives of Tyndale House Publishers, a nonprofit organization and the world’s largest independent Christian publisher. They presented their Catholic edition of the New Living Translation (NLT) of the Bible and the Go Bible – A Life-Changing Bible for Kids.

We also met with Hans Christofferson and Therese Ratliff of Liturgical Press, whose stand was just a few steps away from Tyndale. They are internationally known as a Catholic and ecumenical publisher of books on prayer, Spirituality, Scripture, liturgy, theology, and monastic life. 

We were fortunate to be introduced to Gabriel Colabelli of Agape Libros from Buenos Aires, Argentina, who offered translation rights to their books from Spanish to English. Gabriel learned about us from Editorial Claretiana or the Claretian Publications in Buenos Aires. We also sent him our rights catalog, hoping that there are titles that his publishing house would be interested in translating from English to Spanish.

Our knowledge of the Spanish language was tested when we spoke with Fr. Luis Erlin, CMF and Aliston Monte of Editora Ave-Maria from Sao Paulo, Brazil. Since Fr. Dennis and I do not speak Portuguese and they do not speak English, we had our meeting in Spanish. I was glad that I had two semesters of Spanish subject in college, and thanks to Fr. Alberto Rossa, CMF, who encouraged and supported my one-year classes in Spanish at the Instituto Cervantes when I became the Foreign Order and Rights Coordinator in CCFI. 

We were glad to see Fr. Sajith Cyriac, SSP of St. Pauls and Better Yourself Books from India. Last year, their publishing house got the rights to distribute the book Audiam, I Will Listen to Your Words, O Lord: Answers to over 100 Questions about the Scriptures by Mr. Duane Cartujano. He informed us that the book will be available in December. We look forward that, for this year, some of our new releases will find their way to their catalog.

After our meeting, I attended the FBM masterclass on Creating worlds and reader experiences by unlocking Licensing Opportunities in Publishing and Entertainment. I chose this talk to learn how the publishing industry could explore and work with the entertainment industry. In the past, we have books that were used as references in documentaries and TV shows. Who knows, one of these days, one of our books will be adapted to the silver screen, or a character in our book will be used and launched as famous merch. Knowing what and what not to consider when this happens is essential.

One of the fair’s highlights was the Opening Ceremony of the 76th FBM, whose slogan is FBM24 is Read!ng: Read, Reflect, Relate. This reminds me of our CCFI motto: Read, Live, and Spread the Word of God! Prominent individuals from Germany and Italy graced the event; author Susanna Tamaro, physicist Carlo Rovelli, and philosopher Stefano Zecchi represented the host country. After the opening, we proceeded to the Italian pavilion, whose theme was “Roots in the Future,” inspired by the piazza, which showcased their creativity and innovative exhibition.

Day two of the FBM was fun and exciting. The Philippine delegation had a press conference at the Frankfurt Pavilion in the Agora, the heart of the fair, as it launched the Guest of Honor theme, “The Imagination Peoples the Air.” It was inspired by the novel Noli Me Tangere by our National Hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, which ignited the flames of nationalism and the desire for independence of Filipinos. I was teary-eyed and proud after watching the visual presentation launching the Philippines as the Guest of Honor.

Fr. Dennis and I had several scheduled meetings for the second day. First on our list was Nigel Fernandes, CEO of ATC Publishing from India. CCFI is the exclusive distributor of their books in the Philippines. Nigel introduced us to Aaron Rego, Business Development Manager of Brilliant Printer Pvt. Ltd., whose press printed the Bible Diary for all the Claretian organisms in India and Africa. Aaron invited us to visit India and see their printing press for ourselves.

While Fr. Dennis went to meet Jonathan Guilbault of Novalis Publishing, the largest bilingual religious publisher in Canada, I joined the FBM ground tour conducted by Ms. Barbel Becker for newcomers and first-time delegates. The FBM fairground is like a small city surrounded by six huge halls. It’s like multiplying the SMX Convention Center by six or eight times. These halls simultaneously held big events like FBM, international trades, exhibitions, and activities.

After the tour, Fr. Dennis and I met the team of Youcat International, which has a new Executive Director, Rafael D’Aqui. CCFI translated the book YOUCAT, or Youth Catechism of the Catholic Church, from German to Filipino. It was a very pleasant meeting, and we both look forward to continuing our collaborative work to help young people better understand the Catholic faith. We invited them to stay for the Philippine Reception to experience the warmth of Filipino culture and hospitality and to taste the flavors of our food and drinks, especially the Ube wine.

Later in the evening, Fr. Dennis and I joined the online meeting of the Claret Publishing Group, a consortium of Claretian publishing houses worldwide. We joined Brazil, Hong Kong, and Bangalore publishing houses at the Claretian Seminary in Hühnerweg, while the others attended through Zoom. Fr. Henry Omonisaye, CMF, Vicar General & Prefect of Bible and Communication of the Claretian Congregation, presided over the meeting.

On the third day, we talked to Francesca Angeletti of Libreria Editrici Vaticana, the publishing house established in 1926 by the Holy See. CCFI has published and translated the encyclicals, writings, and documents of the Vatican in English and Filipino, especially those of Pope Francis. In 2023, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle presented to His Holiness “Ang Galak ng Ebanghelyo: Evangelii Gaudium at iba pang Mahahalagang Akda ni Papa Francisco na isinalin sa Wikang Filipino,” a collection of the writings of the pope in Filipino published by CCFI. A few days after, Francesca informed us of the new encyclical of the Pope, “Dilexit nos. (He Loved Us)” on the Sacred Heart.

Fr. Dennis and I did not miss the chance to meet our partners at Amity Printing Press from Nanjing, China. Since 2003, Amity has been printing the Claretian seasonal products and has contributed to improving some features of the Bible Diary. We discussed further strengthening our partnership, especially regarding product development and logistics.

While waiting for our next meeting, Christine Smith of Hymns Ancient & Modern, whose publishing house shares a stand with Paulist Press, offered us Heart of My Own Heart: Deepening Life with Christ, a book on the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The devotion is popular among Filipino Catholics, though other Christian churches, like the Anglicans, also use this devotion.

Paul McMahon of Paulist Press recently made history by being appointed as the first layperson to serve as President in the 160-year history of the publishing house. We were happy to meet him with Bob Byrns, who has been our constant contact in their publication for many years. They were generous to give us some of their books on display for review and evaluation.

To wrap up the day, the Philippine Consulate in Frankfurt prepared a memorable tour around the city for the Filipino delegates. They chartered a train with a Filipino karaoke master, who fired up the party atmosphere by encouraging everyone to sing and dance to famous foreign and Filipino songs. Everybody had fun. Filipinos are fun-loving people who love Karaoke. Wherever we go, whatever we do, and whoever we meet, we know how to enjoy life.

On the 4th day of the fair, I was assigned to man the Philippine stand. Since this is day four, the event was open to the public because the first three days were restricted to exhibitors and trade visitors, literary agent participants, and those who purchased entrance tickets to the fair only. I had the chance to entertain inquiries and converse with visitors about the books on display.

I was such a relief to meet Claretian alumni during the FBM, Deputy Consul General Rogelio ‘Bong’ Villanueva, Jr., Robinson Jason Sebolino, author of the historical novel Vassals of the Valley, Vince Naval, Project Development Officer-NBDB, and Christian Dean Icalina, Marketing Advertising Specialist ABS-CBN Global. Go, Red Roosters!

I also met with representatives of Sons and Simons from India, who visited our stand and offered their e-book conversion package and other publishing services.

In the afternoon, I attended the presentation of Frs. Dennis and Wilner Tria at the Asia Stage. The topic and title of their presentation was “Spirituality? Still a topic?”. The speakers discussed the role and importance of Spirituality in Literature. I realized that the two have a meaningful, mutualistic relationship. According to the presentation, Spirituality in literature encourages reflection and dialogue about profound life questions. Thus, making it a timeless and relevant subject. The two other very informative and interesting presentations I attended were Queering the Text: Queer Literature and Storytelling in Southeast Asia and In It’s More Funny in the Philippines: Humor and Satire in Asian Lit.

One of the things that Fr. Dennis and I explored in this year’s FBM was the Children’s literature. The children’s books market has experienced significant growth globally, and we hope to broaden our perspective and venture into this unfamiliar market, making our ministry more timely and effective.

Moreover, our participation last April 2024 at the Philippine Book Festival made us see the need to explore the children and youth market. According to the 2023 National Readership Survey commissioned by the NBDB, the top book genre in the country is the Bible at 64 percent, followed by picture and children’s books at 30 percent.

In Frankfurt, we met with established publishing houses with a wide children’s book collection, like Scandinavian Publishing from Copenhagen, Denmark, which offered us new products and some remainders of their children’s books. There’s the Xact Book from New Delhi, India, where we have two ongoing book projects, the Old Testament and the New Testament Bible Stories for Kids. We also reconnected with Anno Domini Publishing from England and Acoma Books from Brescia, Italy. They were generous enough to give us free copies of their new products so we could bring them back to Manila.

The Philippine officials and delegates attended the Handover Ceremony on the fair’s last day. The Italian Pavilion was filled with songs and music from the two countries. It was time for Italy, the Guest of Honor, to say goodbye and turn over the ceremonial Guest Scroll to the Philippines. As our country welcomes and receives the Scroll, we are challenged to showcase our identity as a nation and the Filipinos who are creative, innovative, skilled, and talented.

As a delegate from a Catholic publishing house, these beautiful memories taught me a lot about building meaningful relationships with authors, creatives, and fellow publishers, especially religious publishing houses abroad, and seeing new perspectives in publishing and international marketing. With new doors and more possibilities, I believe this will lead to tremendous success and growth for the Philippine publishing industry. We are ready to fill the air in FBM 2025 with our people’s talents and rich imaginations, showcasing the depth and breadth of our culture and heritage.

Robert U. Laurio or Bob to his friends, colleagues, and co-workers, has been in the publishing industry for 21 years. He is presently the Production Manager at Claretian Communications Foundation, Inc. He graduated with a degree in AB Philosophy at St. Anthony Mary Claret College in Tandang Sora, Quezon City. He finished his Masters in Pastoral Ministry (MPA-2003) from Loyola School of Theology, Ateneo de Manila University, and a Masters in Business Administration (MBA-2013) from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. Bob enjoys playing the guitar, singing, and bonding with his two dogs and cats at home.