After more than 25 years as head of the Frankfurt Book Fair, Peter Weidhaas is retiring. Yesterday the B rsenverein, the German publishers, wholesalers and booksellers association -- a kind of combination of the AAP, ABAand AWBA -- announced that his successor will be Lorenzo Rudolf, a 40-year-old Swiss who has been head of Art Basel, a major art show in Basel, since 1991. He has no particular book world experience but is said to be very dynamic and creative. He will take office sometime next year.
Weidhaas took over fair management in 1974. Since then the number of attendees has doubled and the fair has quadrupled in size. He is also well known for working with other national and international book fairs and publishers, particularly in the Latin America, Africa and Asia.
