Lepore opens Frankfurt fair with warning corporate machines swallowed books

Pulitzer Prize-winning American historian Jill Lepore opened the 78th Frankfurter Buchmesse at the 6 October opening press conference. Lepore said the sum of human knowledge in the world's books 'has been swallowed whole by machines owned by corporations'. The trade fair, where publishers sell translation rights, is scheduled for 7–11 October 2026.