The world’s largest book fair, Frankfurter Buchmesse, once again opened its doors from October 15–19, 2025, in Frankfurt, Germany—welcoming dreamers, storytellers, and innovators from around the globe. Known as the beating heart of the publishing world, this grand event gathers more than 7,500 exhibitors from over 100 countries, along with an expected 280,000 attendees and 10,000 media professionals. It’s not just a fair—it’s a global celebration of literature, culture, and creativity.
This year’s fair promises to be extraordinary, with over 4,000 seminars and roundtable discussions spotlighting the future of books and storytelling. From bold new voices to legendary authors, the Frankfurt Book Fair 2025 continues to serve as the ultimate hub for discovering fresh perspectives and timeless tales.
This year’s Guest of Honour—Philippines—adds even more vibrance to the event, presenting its rich literary tradition and cultural heritage. With an array of thought-provoking works and captivating stories, the 2025 Frankfurter Buchmesse promises to be a celebration of imagination without borders.
https://www.messemasters.com/shows/frankfurt-book-fair/
As the fair celebrates another successful year of bringing together the brightest minds in publishing, Citi of Books proudly joins the festivities at the 77th Frankfurter Buchmesse, showcasing inspiring titles from its talented authors. Among the featured works in the Book Gallery is “Life Behind Bars: Volume 1” by Julian Starks — a book that portrays the grace, resilience, and fragility of rare and endangered animals living in captivity.
Julian Starks is a multifaceted creative: actor, filmmaker, photographer, and philanthropist based in Los Angeles, California. His journey began in Cincinnati, Ohio, and transitioned through New York and Los Angeles into acting, directing, and eventually fine-art photography. Having studied at institutions including The School of Visual Arts and The Los Angeles Film School, Starks built a production company (Hollywood Filmmakers Inc.) before founding his nonprofit, Visions of the World Inc., dedicated to wildlife awareness.
“Life Behind Bars: Volume 1” is a striking fine-art photography book that captures the beauty, strength, and vulnerability of exotic and endangered animals held in captivity. Through powerful portrait-style images and thoughtful text, author-photographer Julian Starks invites readers to empathize with creatures whose lives exist behind enclosures—but whose stories transcend those confines. The work serves not only as visual art but as conservation advocacy, spotlighting species on the brink of extinction and the sanctuaries that attempt to preserve them.
Starks takes us inside zoos, preserves, and sanctuaries—presenting lions, gorillas, cheetahs, elephants, and many more. With each photograph, the book pairs a short text discussing the species’ conservation status (e.g., “vulnerable,” “critically endangered”) and the reasons for their presence behind bars—whether for protection from poaching, habitat loss, or breeding programs. What emerges is a tension: captivity as both a cage and a refuge, a “necessary evil” as the author frames it, for the sake of species survival. The book becomes more than a photo album—it is a visual argument for awareness and action.
While technically a photography book, “Life Behind Bars” reads like a journey. The images are arresting—large, glossy, full-page photographs that immerse the viewer in both majesty and constraint. Reviewers note that it also works as a “coffee-table book,” yet its message carries depth: about extinction, conservation, and human responsibility.
Its appeal lies in this mixture of aesthetic excellence and advocacy. For animal lovers, photography enthusiasts, conservation advocates—or anyone drawn to visual stories of survival—it stands out. Importantly, it doesn’t shy away from complex questions: Why are these animals behind bars? What does captivity mean for survival? It invites reflection as much as admiration.
“Life Behind Bars: Volume 1” offers more than photographic beauty—it offers a call to awareness and compassion. Through the lens of endangered animals and the sanctuaries that shelter them, the book invites us to look beyond the bars, to understand what lies within. If you’re seeking a work that blends artistry, activism, and awe, this is a remarkable volume to add to your shelf or share with others who care about the planet’s creatures and our shared role in their fate.
Purchase book through this link: https://a.co/d/9cUEQOb