Frankfurt Book Fair 2025: Hot Titles & Publishing Trends

Frankfurt Book Fair 2025 highlights include Matt Haig's new book, fantasy, romcoms, popular psychology, and escapist non-fiction. Publishers are optimistic despite market challenges, focusing on shorter books for younger readers.

Matt Haig’s The Twelve o’clock at night Train– explained by the author as a “sibling, not a follow up” to The Twelve o’clock at night Collection, was highlighted by numerous publishers as one of the big publications to be introduced at the fair. There were also a string of authors moving authors, from Kate Mosse – from Pan Macmillan to HQ – to cookery brand name BOSH! creators Henry Firth and Ian Theasby that moved to DK.

Hot Books and Auctions at Frankfurt

“There have actually most definitely been big books and auctions going on,” said Joanna Prior, Chief Executive Officer of Frying Pan Macmillan. “There’s been a collection of international publishers tracking up wanting to obtain a hold of it,” Prior claimed, “so that’s constantly amazing, to have a hot book.”

In non-fiction, Folland claimed the emphasis was on avoidance– publications “that take us far from existing distress”. This was resembled by Flore Morant, international civil liberties aide at Book, that stated there was exhilaration concerning titles on “making it through tough times” and “comfort” reading, consisting of “cosy colouring” books.

Escapism and Comfort Reading

Kathleen Farrar, MD team sales and advertising and marketing at Bloomsbury, kept in mind ongoing development in SFF, Fantasy and YA, with global passion for Brittney Sector’s Dancing of Lies and Amber Hamilton’s Seven Deadly Thorns. Farrar claimed “comparable fads” arised with Bloomsbury’s English-language consumers, with standout titles consisting of Alex Aster’s grown-up romantasy title Starside, and Venetia Constantine’s The Last Starborn Seer. George Saunders’ Vigil was likewise among the publisher’s lead titles at this year’s fair.

SFF, Fantasy, and YA Trends

“Youngsters are reading much less across the world, and the method to maintain them connected to books is to provide them much shorter books, even in terms of middle quality, so I’m also asked for publications of 160 web pages,” she said, keeping in mind that middle-grade titles from Japan and Korea are commonly on the much shorter side contrasted to UK titles. “They want to obtain an actually fantastic pitch, a truly great publication, and invest in those authors.”

Focus on Shorter Books for Kids

“Kids are checking out much less across the globe, and the means to maintain them connected to books is to provide them much shorter publications, also in terms of center quality, so I’m even asked for books of 160 pages,” she said, noting that middle-grade titles from Japan and Korea are often on the much shorter side contrasted to UK titles. “There appears to be a great deal of big books concerning from everybody,” he discussed. Matt Haig’s The Midnight Train– explained by the publisher as a “brother or sister, not a sequel” to The Midnight Collection, was highlighted by various publishers as one of the huge publications to be introduced at the fair.

“There have absolutely allowed publications and public auctions going on,” claimed Joanna Prior, CEO of Pan Macmillan. Bessel van der Kolk’s Concerned Your Senses, the follow-up to the successful The Body Maintains ball game (Penguin), was acquired by Macmillan in the lead-up to the fair. “There’s been a series of foreign authors tracking up wanting to find it,” Prior claimed, “so that’s always interesting, to have a warm publication.”

“We have actually had a great deal of interest and enjoyment around Sarra Manning’s The Love Collection, and we have actually got a fantastic rom-com on Heading called 23 Ivy Lane, we have actually got The Interest Mystery on Little, Brown,” Folland claimed. “We have actually also had a lot of rate of interest in The Artist by Lucy Horse, and been meeting lots of global authors for that.”

Optimism Despite Market Challenges

Publishers were confident after a “effective, buzzy” week at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2025, in spite of difficulties in the marketplace. Hectic diaries, and large statements aided the state of mind, with high-concept fiction, fantasy and romcoms in the limelight, while preferred psychology and escapist non-fiction likewise brought in strong rate of interest.

Middle-grade illustrated phase books and graphic novels were popular with Bloomsbury’s worldwide partners, according to Farrar, with highlights consisting of the Pocket Potters series, which has marketed in 27 languages, and Sheena Dempsey’s Pablo and Splash. “Overall a truly productive, buzzy reasonable with positivity concerning the 4th quarter, and next year’s large titles.”

Dan Conway, Chief Executive Officer of the Publishers Organization (PA), said publishers’ “journals [were] bursting” throughout the week. “For the Publishers Organization, it’s a chance to hang out with our international equivalents to explore in even more deepness the concerns of typical interest as well as factors of difference,” he included.

While the “market out there is tough”, Jonathan Atkins, worldwide director at Frying pan Macmillan, said that “every person’s actually optimistic regarding this period”. “There appears to be a lot of big books regarding from everybody,” he explained. “I assume it seems like the most significant autumn period for a long period of time.”