Bookfair funding stymied

Just as well I didn't take up my booksy pals' offer to invest in a ticket and garret at this year's Frankfurt Book Fair (Oct 15-19) because even my pukka publishing pals may not be there.

The Hellenic Fed of Pubs and Booksellers had fixed everything yonks back with the Kultur Ministry in re funding of the Greek stand yadda yadda, publishers booked rooms, representative books chosen etc.

What happens? Or doesn't? The effing money isn't forthcoming, with the result that the organisers don't get paid, so no stand for the 8 or so chosen publishers to set up their wares.

That's 300+ titles won't be seeing light of day. As I say, that's all hearsay from my troubled pals but it sounds to have a grain of truth.

Nor has the moolah been flashed for the Nov 1-9 Istanbul Book Fair, so there's another train wreck but it was Frankfurt I was looking forward to and, in particular, swanking up to Gwyn Headley's stand in my Εύζωνες gear and surprising the heck out of him.

It's all rather Greek in a way.