By Andrew Richard Albanese, Editor-in-Chief
Early in the fall of 2025, Publishing Perspectives Publisher Erin Cox asked me about contributing in some capacity at Publishing Perspectives. It was an exciting proposition. Erin and I have been good friends and associates for more than 20 years, and, in January of 2025, we had teamed up to launch the U.S.-based library and publishing newsletter Words & Money. Things were going great. And working with her and the team at Publishing Perspectives felt like an exciting, natural next step.By November, we had sketched out some ideas for what my contribution might look like, and we were ready to have a conversation with Editor-in-Chief Porter Anderson, as soon as he returned from Shanghai, to let him know he was going to be getting some help. Tragically, we never got to have that talk with Porter.
In January of this year, I took on the role of Editor-in-Chief for Publishing Perspectives under terrible circumstances. And I won’t lie—in the first few weeks and months, I felt like I’d been thrown into the deep end. I was looking forward to doing this work alongside Porter. Instead, there was the shock of his sudden loss, and the full weight of carrying on the work.
In my introductory column, I wrote that Porter was irreplaceable—and that’s something I’m especially feeling now, with the Frankfurter Buchmesse upon us. Porter was a fixture in Frankfurt for much of the last decade. And his unexpected death means he never got the chance to get his flowers. So, for those of you who knew Porter or maybe just appreciated his work on behalf of the international publishing community, I hope you’ll take a moment during this year’s fair to raise a glass in his memory. Campari, of course.
But onward we go. And what a remarkable 10 months it has been. At Publishing Perspectives, we’ve worked hard to cultivate a new editorial vision to take us forward—a vision that, as Erin and I like to say, truly emphasizes the “perspectives” in Publishing Perspectives. And central to that vision has been a talented team of writers, reporters, analysts, and contributors from across the globe.
Despite the tragic circumstances in joining Publishing Perspectives, I’ve loved every second of the work so far. With the help of my colleagues, I’ve learned so much about the international publishing community. And, amid the chaos and the foolhardy policies of the Trump administration, this year’s Frankfurter Buchmesse feels like, well, a turning point of sorts.
In many ways, this year’s Frankfurter Buchmesse will look like any other. There will be brisk rights dealing in the once again sold-out LitAg. The halls will be bustling. The stages and meeting rooms will host a vibrant professional program. But this year is not like any other year.
As we gather in Frankfurt in 2026, amid the myriad challenges facing our industry and our world, the international publishing community needs this chance to come together—in person, in solidarity.
Perhaps more importantly, the world needs to see the global book business standing together in defense of our core values: For the freedom to publish and the freedom to read. For a free press. For democracy. For diversity and multiculturalism. Against authoritarianism and war. Against misinformation, and censorship. Amid the promise and uncertainty that has come with the advent of AI, the world needs to see a global publishing industry standing together for the rights of authors, artists, and translators, and in defense of humanity.
So, whatever brings you to the Frankfurter Buchmesse, it’s good that you’re there. Perspectives matter. Now more than ever.
More of Publishing Perspectives‘ Frankfurt Book Fair Preview:
- Frankfurter Buchmesse 2026: Program Picks
- Frankfurter Buchmesse 2026: ‘On the Books’ – What Everyone in Publishing Will Be Talking About
- Frankfurter Buchmesse 2026: What’s Next for Juergen Boos?
- Frankfurter Buchmesse 2026: A conversation with Czech author and European Prize for Literature winner Dora Kaprálová