Digital week to replace French trade fairs

The International Bureau of French Publishing (Bureau International de l’Edition Fran√ßaise, BIEF) will hold a digital “French Week” in May to replace the professional trade fairs cancelled since the Covid-19 pandemic began, according to French trade magazine Livres Hebdo.

The “week" will be held from 17th-28th May, and will bring together 75 of the BIEF’s 280-odd members and foreign publishers. BIEF has launched a digital platform with a list of the 75 houses. These include several from Hachette Livre, Editis and Media-Participations, as well as Gallimard, Actes Sud and Albin Michel. They cover all publishing genres.

BIEF will post a series of English subtitled videos between 17th and 21st May. They were filmed in specialist bookshops and will highlighthow the latest French editorial trends. Each day will carry a different theme : the first will be fiction, the second non-fiction and humanities, the third children’s books, the fourth graphic novels, and the fifth illustrated books. Digital catalogues will be made available throughout the event.

Foreign publishers must sign up in advance and will be able to start making appointments for 25-minute meetings on 28th April. The event is free of charge to all foreign participants.