The London Book Fair had its third and final day on 20 April 2023, bringing the largest spring book trade and publishing event in the world to a close, with a total footfall of more than 30,000 over the three days. From publishers to authors, literary agents to booksellers and translators, the last three days saw representatives from the global book industry do business, share expertise, network and attend sessions covering topics on the key issues affecting the industry.
Gareth Rapley, director of The London Book Fair, said: “What a wonderful Fair it’s been. We are delighted to see attendee figures back to pre-Covid levels, which is such a vote of confidence in the event and a testament to the special place it holds in the publishing calendar. As my first London Book Fair, it’s been a fantastic experience and I look forward to growing this momentum in future years and solidifying The London Book Fair as the spring’s biggest book and publishing event for the whole industry.”
Highlights from Day Three:
The keynote address was delivered by Kate Mosse OBE, novelist and founder director of the Women’s Prize for Fiction, chaired by Louise Minchin, author and former BBC Breakfast presenter. They discussed the importance of spotlighting women’s voices in books and the work that is still to be done in this area.
London Book Fair’s Schools Program 2023 in partnership with National Literacy Trust saw a number of volunteers from the publishing world (including authors, editors, illustrators, printers and booksellers) talking to 80 students from disadvantaged backgrounds aged 13-16, an age where young people are starting to think about their career, about their roles and how they fit in to the journey of the book.
Author of the hit debut Morgan is My Name, Sophie Keetch was in conversation with podcaster and author Mark Stay to discuss the resurgence of retellings of myths and legends, how audiobooks can offer a different perspective on storytelling and her advice for any aspiring writers.
A conversation with Author of the Day Robin Stevens, celebrated Children’s Author offered thought-provoking perspectives from the celebrated author of the Murder Most Unladylike Mysteries.
This year’s London Book Fair brought together internationally acclaimed authors, illustrators and translators from across the globe as well as exciting debut writers. The seminar program also saw some of the biggest organizations from publishing and beyond share their expertise with attendees.
The Top Deals
A series of six-figure deals and celebrity biographies have been announced at this year’s London Book Fair. Rights highlights include:
∙ Headline has acquired a biography of Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen by author and motor sport insider Mark Hughes.
∙ Canongate has acquired a collection of short stories by International Booker Prize winner Lydia Davis and the book will be blocked from sale through Amazon – a first for the UK market – at the author’s request. Our Strangers will be made available for sale in physical bookshops, via Bookshop.org and other selected online independent retailers.
∙ Fourth Estate has triumphed in a six-publisher auction for the new novel Portraits of Small Deaths by Maaza Mengiste, the Booker-shortlisted author of The Shadow King and Beneath the Lion’s Gaze.
∙ Orion has acquired Aisha Hassan’s debut novel The Boy Who Built Lahore and one other title in a six-figure deal.
∙ HarperCollins has landed a historical novel and a fantasy from Rebecca F Kuang, author of Babel and forthcoming Yellowface.
∙ HarperCollins acquired the first book from Sarina Wiegman, head coach of England women’s national football team, about her journey to becoming an inspirational figure in sport.
∙ Faber confirmed to publish the first graphic novel adaptation of William Golding’s 1954 classic, Lord of the Flies, illustrated by Dutch artist Aimée de Jongh.
∙ Headline scooped debut novel from comedy writer Sara Gibbs, Eight Bright Lights, set in Tel Aviv about three young women looking for their happily ever after during the eight days of Hanukkah.
∙ Bloomsbury scooped up Harriet Constable’s The Instrumentalist, inspired by the true story of Anna Maria della Pietà, orphan and student of Antonio Vivaldi, and a second book in major deal.
Spotlight On Ukraine
Kicking off with a welcome address with Olena Zelenska, First Lady of Ukraine, Oleksandr Tkachenko, minister of Culture, Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay, Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Department of Culture, Media, and Sport, this year’s Guest Spotlight on Ukraine featured a series of events bringing Ukrainian literature and culture to the fore.
In the newly launched Sustainability Lounge, which opened on Tuesday with Sherri Aldis, director of the United Nations Regional Information Centre for Western Europe, issues around sustainability and the publishing industry took center stage – from getting SDG on track to the sustainability of book fairs, and from early-stage ideas to transform publishing from within to the Publishers Association carbon calculator.
Nielsen BookData shared the latest trends in book sales across the world in a session on the Main Stage today. Sales in Brazil and India were led by Non-Fiction, while Australia and New Zealand sales were driven by Children’s books, and Fiction was most pronounced in Italy and Spain’s bestsellers. Fiction also brings the most similarities across number one titles, with Colleen Hoover topping best-selling charts across the UK, Australia, Brazil, India, Ireland, New Zealand and South Africa. The talk reported that graphic novels have more than doubled since 2019, with 26m in sales volumes, while romance, crime, fantasy and manga top the fiction charts globally.
