
A delegation from The London Book Fair (LBF) and the British Council visited Poland on 11 July 2016 to meet with publishers, retailers, festival programmers, and other industry representatives, ahead of Poland Market Focus 2017. The week-long visit, which has been coordinated by the British Council, in cooperation with Poland Market Focus partners, the Polish Book Institute, will see the delegation travel to Krakow and Warsaw to discuss the programme to promote the very best of Polish literature and writing at LBF 2017.
The group, which will include LBF director Jacks Thomas, and the British Council’s director of literature, Cortina Butler, will meet with key representatives from across Polish publishing including Wroclaw European Capital of Culture, the Conrad Festival, Wydawnictwo Literackie Publishing House, and the Polish Chamber of Books.
Jacks Thomas, director of LBF, commented, “There is no better way of learning about a country’s publishing landscape and culture than to see it with your own eyes and speak to the major publishers and organizers in their back yard,” Cortina Butler, director of literature at the British Council, stated, “Poland’s rich literary heritage has the strength and depth to leave a lasting imprint on the international publishing world.”
The London Book Fair Market Focus programme is a key opportunity for UK and international publishers to liaise with their foreign counterparts, and seek out and capitalize on new business partnerships. Market Focus Poland will combine an extensive professional programme with a comprehensive schedule of cultural events celebrating the very best of Polish literature and writing.
The programme, organized by LBF and the Publishers Association, will be an all-encompassing series of events and publisher meetings, providing essential insights into the Polish publishing industry, while highlighting business opportunities and showcasing the market’s importance in the wider context of international publishing.