The world’s largest bookfair, Frankfurter Buchmesse, opened its doors last October 16-20, 2024, in Frankfurt, Germany. For worldwide business and trading, it is regarded as the most significant book fair on earth. More than 4,300 exhibitors and an expected 114,000 trade visitors from 131 countries, welcoming rights professionals from a total of 355 agencies and publishers make the Frankfurt Book Fair a place of endless discoveries. On the stages we experienced exciting international voices.
As the Frankfurter Buchmesse celebrates its anniversary for another year of serving the industry, Citi of Books did not miss the chance to join the 76th Frankfurt Book Fair (Frankfurt Buchmesse) in Frankfurt, Germany. This spectacular gathering honors fascinating works and their creators.
With a series of activities prepared, one of the most anticipated this year is the chosen country to be the guest of honor, which is Italy. The country will present not just its diverse, unique qualities as an attractive place to travel but also as a country with a rich literary tradition.
Citi of Books is excited to present books written by our distinguished authors. In our assigned booth, a range of books—from fiction to nonfiction—would be on exhibit. A book included in the gallery was “Navigating The Quartz Forest” by Biman Roy.
Biman Roy has been writing poetry for the past three decades and has been widely published. His writing has been nominated for Best of the Net and Pushcart awards. His poetry chapbook, Of Moon and Washing Machine, has been selected for publication by Uncollected Press. He is a psychiatrist by profession, serves as a consultant in a hospital in New York, and lives in Ridgewood, New Jersey.
In “Navigating the Quartz Forest,” each dreamlike lyric is beautifully complemented by small handwritten notes hastily scrawled on blue-lined notebook paper—intimate artifacts from his daughter’s life beyond the family home. As he reflects, “All through the evening, we keep talking nonessentials, / tiptoeing around secret tulips,” these notes, reminiscent of overheard snippets of conversation, transform into crystalline seeds for new poems.
Arranged side by side, the poems serve as a translator for these somewhat oracular messages, capturing the essence of teenage gossip and pop culture references. The poet deftly pieces together these fragments like a shattered mirror, skillfully filling in the jagged gaps with his expansive imagination. Through this interplay of voices, “Navigating the Quartz Forest” emerges as a whimsical tapestry, where each poem sparkles with a father’s love and admiration for his daughter. Ultimately, Roy’s work stands as a heartfelt tribute, celebrating the fleeting moments of youth while illuminating the profound connections that bind family together.