اسماعیل یزدانپور
After more than two decades at the helm of the Frankfurter Buchmesse, Juergen Boos is preparing to step down at the close of 2025. In an extensive interview reflecting on his 21-year tenure, Boos examined the profound transformations reshaping the global publishing landscape, while reaffirming his steadfast faith in the enduring power of the printed book and the indispensable value of in-person cultural exchange.
Recalling the anxieties that surrounded the rise of e-books at the turn of the millennium, Boos noted that doomsday forecasts predicting the death of print proved fundamentally flawed. Instead, printed books continue to demonstrate remarkable resilience, coexisting dynamically with digital media. He pointed out how contemporary cultural dynamics—such as the global literary resurgence fueled by young readers on BookTok—illustrate that literature remains a vital anchor of identity and curiosity for newer generations.
Addressing the growing influence of artificial intelligence in publishing, Boos emphasized the critical need for robust copyright protection and ethical frameworks. While acknowledging technological advancement, he cautioned that human creativity, authorial voice, and editorial discernment remain irreplaceable pillars of literary culture.
For BookCity, which actively engages with global publishing trends and international literary networks, Boos’s legacy underscores a shared core conviction: that bookstores and book fairs are not merely commercial marketplaces, but vital democratic spaces for cross-cultural dialogue, intellectual freedom, and human solidarity.
As the international publishing community gathers to celebrate Boos’s transformative leadership, Frankfurt Book Fair remains what it has always aspired to be—a bustling crossroad where stories cross borders, ideas challenge boundaries, and books continue to survive every historical test.
