Last March, the Brussels Book Fair was cancelled due to the ongoing health crisis. Simon Casterman stated that the smaller publishers were impacted the most as they rely heavily on the event to boost their sales. On the other hand, the larger publishers did not view the Book Fair as a crucial moment in literary sales.
Xavier Vanvaerenbergh established the Ker publishing house in 2009 near Mont-Saint-Guibert, in Walloon Brabant. The company primarily publishes Belgian authors who write fiction, essays in the humanities, novels, collections of short stories, and books for young people. It is classified as a small to medium publisher and Xavier is the only employee.
Xavier shared that during the Book Fair, Ker is always hosted by Media Diffusion, their broadcaster-distributor, to keep costs at bay. The cost of a stand is too high for the company. In a good year, Ker sells roughly 200 books during the Fair, which is not enough to justify the cost of renting a stand. However, Xavier emphasized that the event is an excellent opportunity to connect with people.
Last March, the Brussels Book Fair had to be canceled due to the health crisis. “The small publishers were really affected by it, because they need this event to boost their sales”, says Simon Casterman. The larger the publisher, the less the Book Fair obviously represents a key moment in literary sales.”
Xavier Vanvaerenbergh created the Ker publishing house in 2009 near Mont-Saint-Guibert, in Walloon Brabant. It mainly publishes Belgian authors who write fiction, essays in the humanities, novels, collections of short stories and books for young people. It is defined between “small and medium publisher“, and he is the only employee of his company.
“At the Book Fair, I’m always hosted by my broadcaster-distributor, so at Media Diffusion. It’s a matter of cost. The price of a stand is very high at the Fair”, he confides. In good years, Editions Ker sells around 200 books during a Fair. But that would not justify renting a stand. What counts at a Fair are the people you meet there.
The cancellation of the Brussels Book Fair has undoubtedly had a significant impact on small publishers like Xavier Vanvaerenbergh and his company, Ker Editions. Despite this setback, Vanvaerenbergh remains optimistic, recognizing the importance of networking and building connections in the literary world. As we navigate through these uncertain times, it is crucial to support small publishers and independent booksellers, as they play a vital role in promoting diverse voices and perspectives in literature. Let us hope that we can all come together again soon, to celebrate the joys of reading and the power of storytelling at events like the Brussels Book Fair.