Frankfurt Day Two: Free Speech, AI, Brazil Readers and Audio Take the Stages
Day Two of the 2026 Frankfurter Buchmesse puts censorship, artificial intelligence and listening habits on the same timetable.
Thursday, October 8 is the second day of the fair in Frankfurt, Germany, which runs from October 7 to 11. The day’s professional programme moves across several stages in the fairgrounds, from global free-expression debates in the morning to audio and screen adaptations in the afternoon, according to the day’s listings Publishing Perspectives.
The morning starts with “The Freedom to Publish Globally” from 9:00 to 10:00 at the Global Stage, Foyer 5.1/6.1. The International Publishers Association, the worldwide network of publishers’ associations, will present a new report on the global state of the freedom to publish during the session.
Artificial intelligence follows immediately. “AI and Book Publishing: New Breakthroughs Challenge Cherished Truths” runs from 10:00 to 11:00 on the same Global Stage. Listed speakers are analyst Thad McIlroy, publishing researcher Rüdiger Wischenbart and Jessica Miles.
At the same hour, another conversation looks at readers. “The Brazilian Digital Reader” runs from 10:00 to 11:00 at the Latam Stage, Hall 3.1. The panel will discuss results from the first national study in the Brazilian book market on who reads, who does not, and why. Listed speakers are Mariana Bueno, Luiz Gaspar and Javier Celaya, with Christopher Kenneally as moderator.
Libraries take the midday slot. “What’s Next for the Digital Public Library Market?” is listed for 12:30 to 13:30 at the Dialogue Stage, Foyer Hall 4.0. That is a lending discussion, about how public libraries license and lend ebooks and audiobooks. Listed speakers are Micah May, Heather McCormack and Brad Rose, with Andrew Richard Albanese as moderator.
Overlapping it is a session on careers and networks. “Women in Publishing: From Community to Collective Impact — Networks, Mentorship & Sponsors” runs from 13:00 to 14:00 at the Discovery Stage, Hall 5.0/C147. Listed speakers are Andrea Pasion-Flores, Cassie Rocks and Eboni Waitere, with Anne Friebel as moderator.
Audio gets its own spotlight. “Tuning In: The Latest Trends & Tools in Global Audio” is listed for 14:00 to 14:30 at the Dialogue Stage, Foyer 4.0. Audible chief content officer Rachel Ghiazza will speak with Publishing Perspectives publisher Erin Cox. Audible will also release a new survey on audiobook listening trends to coincide with the 2026 fair.
The audio thread continues. “Technology & Innovation in Scripted Audio Production” follows from 14:30 to 15:00 at the Dialogue Stage, Foyer Hall 4.0, with Adam Fritz of Pozotron, Inc. listed as speaker. Scripted audio here means fiction and nonfiction made with actors, sound design and editing, rather than a straight reading.
Screen hopefuls have a date too. The fair’s Book-to-Screen programme, where publishers pitch books for film and television adaptation, opens on Thursday, October 8 with “The Art of Making Things Happen” Frankfurter Buchmesse. A preview press conference for Chile, the fair’s Guest of Honour country for 2027, meaning the nation given a central showcase, is scheduled for 10:00 to 10:45 at the Dialogue Stage.
What makes this stand out is the mix. Policy, data and craft sit side by side. For anyone following books from afar, expect numbers on reading, borrowing and listening alongside debates about what can be published and how.
