Frankfurt Book Fair to go ahead on schedule in October

[May 28, 2020]  FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Frankfurt's annual book fair - the world's largest - will take place as scheduled in mid-October, its organisers said on Wednesday, a sign of some return to normality amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The event usually draws more than 300,000 visitors, and dates back to the 15th century when Johannes Gutenberg introduced the mass printing of books in nearby Mainz.

Organizers said they were able to persuade city authorities the fair could go ahead after outlining comprehensive sanitary measures to protect attendees against possible infection.

It will take place from Oct. 14-18 at the central Frankfurt fairgrounds as usual, as well as at other locations in the city and virtually.

Organizers said they expected participants from around Europe, and farther afield "depending on travel restrictions at the time", and would provide further details on programming at the end of June.

While the book fair is going ahead, Germany's Oktoberfest, the world's largest folk festival and due to take place in Munich from Sept. 19 to Oct. 4, has been cancelled.

(Reporting by Tom Sims; Editing by Alison Williams and John Stonestreet)

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