Ukrainian Publishers at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2025: What’s Changing, Why It Matters, and New Challenges
From October 15 to 19, 2025, Frankfurt am Main will once again become the global capital of the book market. For Ukrainian publishers, this is not just an exhibition it’s a platform for negotiations, rights sales, participation in international programs, and, ultimately, for demonstrating Ukraine’s presence in the global cultural conversation. The Ukrainian Book Institute has announced an open call for participation at the national stand, and this year the requirements are even clearer, with increased competition.
The Ukrainian Book Institute (UBI), in partnership with the Ministry of Culture and Information Policy, has officially opened applications for participation at the Frankfurt Book Fair. Applications can be submitted until July 18, 2025.
Participation in the national stand is free of charge for Ukrainian publishers, but the list of requirements this year makes it clear: participation in Frankfurt is not a “business trip for show,” but involves thorough preparation and responsibility.
Key requirements for selection:
- the application must include a list of potential partners for meetings (real contacts the publisher plans to work with during the fair);
- the presence of a publishing house representative who is fluent in English or German and authorized to negotiate rights sales, for all days of the fair;
- participation of the team in the set-up and dismantling of the stand;
- readiness to independently finance travel, accommodation, and meals (UBI only covers exhibition space);
- presenting only books by Ukrainian authors;
- fulfillment of all previous obligations in joint projects with UBI (2024-2025);
- submitting a report on the results after the fair.
Delivering books to Frankfurt independently will be considered an additional advantage.
Priorities: history, war, culture, and proven track record
Selection is not random priority is given to publishers who have already participated in the fair and can show concrete cases (such as successful rights sales or establishing partnerships with international colleagues). Special attention is paid to books about the Russian-Ukrainian war, Ukrainian history, culture, and poetry.
Such filtering is logical. The Frankfurt Book Fair is, first and foremost, a B2B event, where a book is not just a text but a product for international exchange. For many Ukrainian publishers, this is an opportunity to enter external markets, find new platforms for translations, and for the state to prove that Ukraine is a worthy partner in European culture.
Revelant
The war has changed international communication. Among the main directions for 2025 are books that help the world understand Ukraine’s experience: stories of resistance, trauma, and rethinking identity.
In 2024, Ukrainian books already gained recognition on the European stage: “War from the Rear” by Andriy Lyubka and “Ukrainian Worlds of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Stories About Stories” by historian Nataliia Starchenko were finalists for the Ambassador of New Europe international award. This is not only a recognition of quality but also a new perspective for international readers on contemporary Ukraine.
Beyond the national stand, the Frankfurt Fair, together with the Goethe‑Institut and Book Arsenal Festival, offers special professional programs for Ukrainian publishers: seminars, trainings, professional networking, and participation in B2B events (details: official Buchmesse site). This program covers accommodation and meals, and in some cases partially covers travel costs.
Ukrainian publishers have the opportunity to:
- sell translation rights;
- establish contacts with international agents and translators;
- receive feedback on new releases;
- strengthen their position on the world market.
But it should be remembered: Frankfurt is not just an exhibition. Here, they work with the product, not with abstractions. One of the main requirements is active participation at the stand, thorough preparation, and the ability to work in the fast-paced environment of negotiations.
For Ukraine, the Frankfurt Book Fair is not only about cultural image. It’s one of the main platforms for exporting ideas, finding partners, and opening up new markets. In 2025, global attention to Ukraine remains strong, and participating in such a project is a chance for the industry to move beyond internal isolation, give the country a new voice, and demonstrate the ability to be part of the European cultural process.
Official information about participation requirements is available on the Ukrainian Book Institute’s website: ubi.org.ua.
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