Even in the era of instant electronic communication, the annual five-day Frankfurt Book fair is still the publishing world’s event of the year. “In a way, the parties are now the real business. ‘It’s the chance to rub shoulders with these really intelligent writers and publishers, and to talk about books that you care deeply about. That’s the reason you’re in this field. You forget that sometimes in New York because of the overwhelming business-ness of it’.”