Are you keeping count?

Six authors done; 12 more to go

By Gayle Dorio, 2021-22 Jewish Book Festival chair

In January, the book festival features five authors at four events — two in person and two on Zoom. February has five authors at four events — again, two in person and two on Zoom!

We are very fortunate to have the opportunity to present the 7th Jewish Book Festival sponsored by Jewish Federation of Greater Naples. With support from our sponsors, patrons and the public, it’s exciting to share 18 authors and their books, and we hope you’ve enjoyed the authors and books thus far. We are extremely excited to “Be Together” — able to carefully meet in person and continue on Zoom!

There are so many interesting books written by talented authors. How could one possibly choose which to read? If you think it was tough to select from 200+ books offered by the Jewish Book Council, imagine if we were able to choose from all new books published this past year?

How many books are published each year?

There are somewhere between 600,000 and 1 million books published every year in the United States alone, depending on which stats you believe. Perhaps as many as half, or even more, are self-published (according to Forbes.com in 2013).

How many books are made into movies each year?

(We heard from Judy Batalion that her book, “The Light of Days,” has been optioned by Steven Spielberg!) Each year, an average of 30 novels are made into movies for the big screen. Authors watch tensely as their stories are filtered through the hands of screenwriters, directors, cinematographers and studio chiefs.

When did book festivals get started?

The National Book Festival was founded in 2001 by Laura Bush and then-Librarian of Congress, James H. Billington. The first festival was held Sept. 8, 2001, with Mrs. Bush serving as its honorary chair, a position she held through 2008.

Over the years, the festival has evolved immensely, becoming the nation’s premier literary event. Funded by private donors and corporate sponsors who share the library’s commitment to reading and literacy (ww.loc.gov), it began on the Library of Congress grounds and in its buildings on Capitol Hill, expanding soon thereafter to the lawn of the Capitol and then to the National Mall. The Washington Convention Center has hosted the event in recent years, and in 2020, the festival was virtual.

Attendance has skyrocketed from 25,000 in 2001 to more than 200,000 in 2019. Author involvement in the festival also increased dramatically: While roughly 40 authors participated in the first festival, the 2015 National Book Festival featured more than 175 authors.

What’s the difference between a festival and a book fair?

Typically, a book fair is an offering of, guess what, books! Sometimes the authors speak about their books, but usually a festival is where you will hear authors give longer presentations about their books.

What is the oldest book fair?

With a 500-year-old history, the Frankfurt Book Fair, held in Frankfurt, Germany, is acknowledged to be the world’s oldest book fair, attracting a global audience of book publishing professionals and more than 250,000 visitors each year.

The book fair began in earnest in 1454, following Johannes Gutenberg’s revolutionary invention of the printing press. Gutenberg created the fi rst press in nearby Mainz, but Frankfurt swiftly became the center of the West’s publishing industry. The Fair is held every year in October. In a typical year, the fair hosts more than 7,300 exhibitors from 100 countries. Around 300,000 visitors will attend the event, and more than 10,000 journalists will cover it.

In his book, “The History of the Frankfurt Book Fair,” author Peter Weidhaas (a former director of the fair from 1975-2000) writes that King Henry VIII sent Sir Thomas Bodley as his personal emissary to the Frankfurt Book Fair to purchase books for the new library at Oxford University (www.thebalancecareers.com).

What is the name of the world’s largest book?

There is always a contest … Kuthodaw Pagoda contains the “world’s biggest book,” 729 marble slabs, each one inscribed with text from the Tripitaka, the Buddhist scriptures (www.atlasobscura.com).

According to the Guinness World Record website, the current largest book is titled “This the Prophet Mohamed” and was unveiled in 2012 by Mohamed International Group in Dubai, UAE. The volume measures 16.40 feet by 26.44 feet, weighs approximately 3,306 pounds and consists of 429 pages. How about that for some light bedside reading?

All members of the JBF Committee, along with the amazing Reneé Bialek and I, hope to see you at all the events. Feel free to email us and let us know your thoughts. We hope you are enjoying the Jewish Book Festival!