Last update: February 2021
Q&A Session held on October 5th with Canada FBM2020 and the Canada Council for the Arts
Since the announcement of Canada’s Guest of Honour postponement to 2021, Canada FBM2020 anticipated that authors and illustrators would have many questions regarding their status as a member of the official literary delegation. To best answer these questions accurately and efficiently, Canada FBM2020 and the Canada Council for the Arts hosted a live Questions and Answers session on October 5th where updates on Guest of Honour events, as well as updates pertaining to authors’ and illustrators’ roles, responsibilities, contracts and financial support in relation to their participation at these events were provided.
Question 1
Given the COVID-19 pandemic and with all the international events being cancelled, is the Frankfurt Book Fair (FBM) still taking place in 2021? Was there a FBM in 2020?
On July 7th, 2020 it was officially announced that Canada’s presence as Guest of Honour at the Frankfurt Book Fair will be postponed to 2021. To read the official announcement, click here. More information pertaining to Canada’s Guest of Honour presence in 2021 will be shared by the Government of Canada in due course.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the organizers of the Fair created a “Special Edition” of the Frankfurt Book Fair, which took place from October 14 to 18, 2020.
Canada’s participation in the “Special Edition” was exclusively virtual. The Government of Canada was delighted to support the FBM by participating with three (3) mini-documentaries and an exclusive conversation with Margaret Atwood that were pre-recorded in Canada. To learn more about Canada’s virtual literary program at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2020, click here.
Question 2
Will authors/illustrators be asked to travel to Germany in 2021?
The Government of Canada’s priority is to ensure the health and safety of people in Canada and around the world and has issued a travel advisory to that effect. At this time, due to the COVID-19 health and safety precautions put in place by the Government of Canada, Canada FBM2021 does not support or encourage international travel of any Canadians at any events related to the Guest of Honour project outside of Canada.
For the moment, we ask that authors/illustrators refrain from making travel arrangements or modifying existing arrangements made as a result of receiving funding for this initiative.
Question 3
Since Canada’s Guest of Honour presence is postponed to 2021, does this mean the authors/illustrators who were invited to be part of the 2020 literary delegation will be automatically guaranteed an invitation for 2021?
The authors/illustrators in the 2020 literary delegation have already been sent an amendment or new contract that extends their invitation to 2021 as Canada’s presence as Guest of Honour at the Frankfurt Book Fair has been officially postponed.
An author’s/illustrator’s participation in October 2021 will only be confirmed after signing a new and/or amended contract with information on new travel arrangements and any additional financial support they may be eligible to receive. In the meantime, we recommend that authors/illustrators continue to refrain from making any travel arrangements or from modifying any existing travel arrangements until further notice.
Canada FBM2021 is in regular communication with the authors/illustrators of the official literary delegation to keep them abreast with updates and information regarding their participation at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2021.
Question 4
Now that Canada’s Guest of Honour presentation has been postponed, will authors/illustrators who were not originally selected as part of the literary delegation have the opportunity to participate in 2021?
No, not at this time. Invitations to participate in 2021 were only extended to the authors/illustrators who were selected to be part of the 2020 literary delegation. An author’s/illustrator’s participation in October 2021 will only be confirmed after signing a new and/or amended contract.
Question 5
Does that mean that the authors/illustrators who signed a contract to participate at the Frankfurt Book Fair (FBM) 2020 will have to return the financial support they received?
Canada FBM2021 has been in contact with all authors/illustrators that received financial support from the Canada Council for the Arts (CCA) individually to outline necessary administrative steps in regards to their funding. Canada FBM2021 and the CCA’s primary concern is to ensure that no author/illustrator will suffer any financial loss as a result of their original participation at the FBM 2020 or other events/festivals that were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Question 6
An author/illustrator was selected to participate in an event related to Canada’s Guest of Honour presence in spring 2020 but it was cancelled. They were asked to keep a record of the travel expenses they have accumulated using the financial support they received from the Canada Council for the Arts (CCA) before everything was put on hold. What should they do now?
Canada FBM2021 has been in contact with all authors/illustrators that received financial support from the CCA individually to outline necessary administrative steps in regards to their funding.
If a member of the delegation incurred expenses as a result of activities that were cancelled because of COVID-19, and if these expenses cannot be recouped, the author/illustrator must notify us immediately, if they have not already. Canada FBM2021 and the CCA want to ensure that no member of the delegation will suffer any financial loss as a result of their original participation at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2020 or other events/festivals that were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Question 7
An author/illustrator received an invitation to attend a festival/event/activity related to Canada as the Guest of Honour at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2021 but they have not yet received any financial support from the Canada Council for the Arts (CCA). Should they book their travel anyway (ex.: Booking flights, hotel reservations)?
No. Until further notice, we are asking all authors/illustrators to refrain from making any travel arrangements and to wait to hear back from us before doing so.
From March 16 until September 1, 2020, no travel compensation was processed or issued by the CCA due to the blackout period that was in effect. For those who have already incurred expenses, please notify us immediately if you have not already done so.
As of Friday, March 13, 2020, a non-essential travel advisory outside of Canada was issued by the Government of Canada that remains in effect. Even though Canada’s presence as Guest of Honour at the Frankfurt Book Fair has been postponed to October 2021, until further notice, we are asking authors/illustrators to refrain from making any travel arrangements and to wait to hear back from us before doing so.
Question 8
An author/illustrator received financial support to travel or tour for an event that has been cancelled. They cannot be reimbursed for some or all of their expenses. Will they have to pay back the financial support they received from the Canada Council for the Arts (CCA)?
No, not at this time. Canada FBM2021 and the CCA’s primary concern is to ensure that no author/illustrator who received financial aid will suffer any financial loss as a result of their original participation at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2020 or other events/festivals that were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For information on updates regarding the Canada Council for the Arts financial support programs excluding the literary programming at the FBM2020, please visit the following website: COVID-19: Info update.