Inside the world's top literary market

THIS year's Frankfurt Book Fair, which has Ire land and its Diaspora as its focal theme, is more than just an opportunity for Irish writers and publishers to enjoy the limelight at the world's biggest book market. It will place the entire range of Irish culture, at the centre of one of the most important annual events in European intellectual life.

As other international trade shows worry about their future in an age of video conferencing and cheap telecommunications, the greatest threat to the Frankfurt Book Fair is its own success. The fair is growing every year and its organisers believe it is on the way to becoming an umbrella event for a number of smaller, specialist festivals.

Some 6,700 publishers from more than 100 countries will be in Frankfurt between October 2nd and 7th, almost three per cent more than last year. The fair has grown physically since last year too, with the addition of 50,000 square metres of new exhibition space.

Nearly a fifth of this year's exhibitors represent multimedia companies, reflecting the spectacular growth in electronic publishing since its first, faltering appearance at the fair in 1993. Multimedia publishers will have ban entire hall to themselves, as will publishers of art books.

Founded in 1949 and funded by the Marshall Plan for Europe, the Frankfurt Book Fair was something of a consolation prize for a city almost destroyed by allied bombing. It soon displaced the older fair in Leipzig, in the east of the country, and went on to establish itself as the world's top literary market.

For publishers and agents, Frankfurt is a unique annual opportunity to meet international contacts and to spot the latest trends. Most publishers endure a gruelling schedule of more than 20 meetings a day in a vast complex of halls near the city centre, before an evening of networking at countless parties hosted by their partners or rivals.

THE two perennial topics of conversation are the difficulty of finding a hotel room and the latest gossip about the fair's "hot book" - the one every publisher wants to buy. There is a hierarchy of hotels in Frankfurt, with the most important publishers staying in the heart of the city while their poorer colleagues - and most journalists - commute to the fair every day from neighbouring towns such as Offenbach and Mainz. The most prestigious hotel is the Frankfurter Hof and, according to Frankfurt lore, it is here that the best deals are sealed, usually in the bar around midnight.

Last year's "hot book" was an autobiography by Nick Leeson, the trader who broke Barings Bank, which sold for almost £400,000 sterling. The most eagerly pursued books tend, like Leeson's, not to be by professional writers but by rogues or celebrities. Supermodel Naomi Campbell thrilled Frankfurt a few years ago when she attached her name to a novel and Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams created a stir last year when he came to the fair to, auction the rights to his memoirs.

But, beyond the media hullabaloo surrounding the stars, Frankfurt remains seriously committed to showcasing new writing and celebrating writers. All Germany's major newspapers publish hefty supplements reviewing new work and profiling authors at the fair. Special books programmes are screened on both public service national television networks every night of the festival. Dozens of readings attract large, well informed audiences at venues throughout the city and debates involving writer's from all over the world are reported widely and thoroughly.

The focal theme which is a recent innovation, helps to give shape to the fair as it grows ever bigger and countries that have already been showcased in Frankfurt such as the Netherlands and Austria, have seen their share of the German book market rise dramatically. The Dutch focus at Frankfurt helped to introduce Cees Nootebaum to a mass readership in Germany and the Austrian novelist Liliane Faschinger became one of the hottest properties at the fair last year when her country was chosen.

THE organisers of Ireland and its Diaspora have wisely broadened their Frankfurt brief to embrace music, drama and the visual arts as well as literature. "A Day of Irish Life" on September 27th will take Irish culture beyond Frankfurt to cities and towns all over Germany with readings and theatre performances.

Germany's perception of Ireland, which was dominated for many years by Heinrich Boll's affectionate portrait of a rural country, written more than 30 years ago, is being reshaped by figures such as Seamus Heaney and the President, Mrs Robinson.

Both will be present next week" to launch an Irish cultural assault on Frankfurt that could not be more timely.