The London Book Fair (LBF) has announced the full line-up of authors who are participating at this year’s Fair at Olympia, from April 18-20.
The authors of the Fair announced previously – International Author of the Day Colson Whitehead, Adult Author of the Day Ann Cleeves, Children’s Author of the Day Robin Stevens, alongside Illustrator of the Fair Dapo Adeola – will be joined on this year’s seminar program by acclaimed bestsellers, award-winning novelists, poets and translators, alongside emerging new talents.
In addition to a keynote speech by international bestselling novelist, non-fiction writer and playwright Kate Mosse, a host of internationally renowned authors will appear on the LBF program this year, tackling some of the most topical and exciting issues within publishing, and sharing the ideas that inspire their work.
International authors participating include bestselling author and journalist Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, who will discuss her new book, Dust Child (Oneworld), exploring identity, language and the legacy of war with scholar, writer and editor Sofia Rehman.
Goldsmiths Prize-shortlisted author Leone Ross and Betty Trask award-winner Irenosen Okojie will explore their interest and work in speculative fiction. Celebrated crime writer and popular actor Pablo Rivero will share some thoughts about the secrets to a good crime drama.
The popular strand of Author HQ will be returning to LBF 2023 with a plethora of established and debut authors alike, sharing insights on all aspects of their publishing journey. Participating authors include Juno Dawson, Janice Hallett, Georgina Moore, Vaseem Khan, Dr Margaret Skea, Elle McNicoll, Luan Goldie, Eve Wersocki Morris, Nicholas John Frith and Sue Buswell among others.
The world of literary translation will also be explored in depth, with sessions including novelists and screenwriters Fflur Dafydd and Daniel Kehlmann in conversation with writer, translator and filmmaker Samvartha Sahil presenting the process of taking a story from page to screen as translation practice. Translators Sawad Hussain and Annie McDermott will explore their experiences of translating violence and other graphic content. Additional sessions will look at translated work from Latin American indigenous languages; the Balkans, Georgia, and Ukraine; and Spain’s less translated languages such as Catalan, Asturian, Basque and Galician.
As part of the Guest Spotlight on Ukraine, several authors will be talking about how Ukrainian writers have responded to the war, the role that books play in the fight against disinformation and for democracy, the role of women’s voices in these discussions, and writing from the front line. Participating authors include Olesia Khromechuk, Mariana Savka, Luke Harding, Victoria Amelina, Oleksandr Mykhed, Iaryna Chorhohus, Orysia Lutsevych, Kateryna Babkina, Tetyana Teren, Nina Murray, Tanja Tuma, Iva Pezuashvili, Paul Robert Magocsi and Vladislav Davidzon.
Alongside the main author appearances at the Fair, there will be a comprehensive program dedicated to writers at the Writers’ Summit conference, taking place at the Chelsea Old Town Hall on Wednesday 19 April. Participating authors include Laura Lee Dockrill, Harriet Evans, Rebecca Abrams, Joanne Limburg, Sacha Black, Clare Lydon, Ayanna Lloyd Banwo, Jarred McGinnis and more.
Gareth Rapley, Director of The London Book Fair, said: “One of the key offerings of The London Book Fair is its illuminating, insightful and challenging seminar program, featuring some of today’s most exciting and talented writers – we are delighted to continue that tradition this year. We’re looking forward to welcoming to Olympia not only publishers, literary agents, and booksellers, but award-winning novelists, translators, poets, and writers, and look forward to hearing them share their stories and discuss the latest trends in the literary panorama.”
Events from the seminar:
Tuesday 18th April
10.45 – 11.30: Keynote: Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai in Conversation with Sofia Rehman
English PEN Literary Salon
International bestselling author and journalist Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai (The Mountains Sing) joins English PEN to discuss her new book, Dust Child (Oneworld), exploring identity, language and the legacy of war. In conversation with scholar, writer and editor Sofia Rehman, she will discuss her commitment to centering marginalized experiences of war, decolonizing literature, handling sensitive issues such as sexual exploitation, PTSD and racism, and the research that went into developing Dust Child as a story.
Speaker: Author Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai Nguyễn
Moderator: Sofia Rehman
11.00 – 11.30: International Booker Prize 2023 Shortlist Announcement
Tech Theatre
Please join us in the Tech Theatre for the shortlist announcement for the International Booker Prize 2023 by the Chair of judges and novelist Leïla Slimani.
Speakers: Author Leïla Slimani, Fiammetta Rocco
12.30 – 13.15: In Conversation with International Author of the Day, Colson Whitehead
Main Stage
In conversation with Colson Whitehead, an American novelist, and a bestselling author from the USA. Chaired by: Colin Grant, the author of I’m Black So You Don’t Have to Be and the director of WritersMosaic, a division of the Royal Literary Fund.
Speaker: Colson Whitehead
Moderator: Colin Grant
13.30 – 14.30 Art after the war: the future of Ukrainian literature
English PEN Literary Salon
Journalist Tetyana Teren (Executive Director of PEN Ukraine) and authors Victoria Amelina and Kateryna Babkina will discuss how Ukraine’s literary legacy will evolve, how a country reclaims its intellectual and cultural identity when it’s under attack, and how writing can be a form of resistance. The discussion will be hosted by Sofia Cheliak, a Ukrainian journalist and culture manager.
Speakers: Victoria Amelina, Kateryna Babkina, Tetyana Teren
Moderator: Sofia Cheliak
14.00 – 14.45: How I Write
Author HQ
Well-known authors Janice Hallett, Juno Dawson, Dr. Julie Smith will share a glimpse of their writing life, offering insight into how they wrote their best-known books.
Speakers: Authors Janice Hallett, Juno Dawson, Dr. Julie Smith
Moderator: Lucy McCarraher
14.30 – 15.05: Access and Accessibility in translation: who gets to translate and who doesn’t?
Literary Translation Centre
On this panel, we discuss some of the hurdles that exist for translators from underrepresented backgrounds at different stages in their careers, find out what ways they themselves have found to succeed in their chosen careers, what communities exist, and how other players in the publishing ecosystem can do their bit to improve access for a more diverse group of literary translators.
Speakers: Jeffrey Zuckermann, Jen Calleja, Jai White
Moderator: Nichola Smalley
15.00 – 15.45: Creating a Writing Community in 2023
English PEN Literary Salon
What are some of the barriers and challenges writers face today, and how can they use their voices, experience and platforms to support others in their profession? Writers Nikesh Shukla, Natasha Carthew and So Mayer, chaired by writer and Unbound co-founder Dan Kieran, join English PEN to discuss how writers can use writing, festivals, commissioning, prizes and advocacy to support each other, the importance of belonging to an international creative community and how this network can be strengthened to best serve its members.
Speakers: Writers Nikesh Shukla, Natasha Carthew and So Mayer
Moderator: Dan Kieran
15.15 – 16.00: Working Smarter
Olympia Theatre
Business and Life Coach, Carl Reader, will talk about improving your work-life balance to improve your productivity and unlock your creativity.
Speaker: Author Carl Reader
15.25 – 16.10: Page to Screen as Translation
Literary Translation Centre
The panel consisting of two seasoned novelists and screenwriters, Fflur Dafydd and Daniel Kehlmann, and the emerging writer, translator and filmmaker Samvartha Sahil will discuss the process of taking a story from page to screen as translation and mediation between two genres with culture and book journalist Olivia Snaije. The event is presented in association with Literature Across Frontiers, Wales Literature Exchange and the European Literature Network.
Speakers: Authors/Screenwriters Fflur Dafydd and Daniel Kehlmann, Samvartha Sahil
Moderator: Olivia Snaije
15.45 – 16.30: How to Get a Badass Deal?
Author HQ
This session will cover traditional, hybrid and self-publishing contracts as well as appearance fees. We will discuss how to assess what kind of deal you are being offered and the merits of each. What are the negotiating tactics you can use to get a better deal? How can you protect your rights? Tips for looking at small print and getting added value.
Speakers: Authors Vaseem Khan and Dr Margaret Skea, Theo Jones
Moderator: Johanna Clarke
17.00 – 18.30: Hay House UK 20th Anniversary Celebrations
Hay House Stand
Hay House UK Ltd will be celebrating its 20th anniversary at London Book Fair. The guest of honor at the party will be the internationally renowned medium Gordon Smith, who was their first UK author and continues to be published by them with two new products coming in 2023.
17.00 – 18.30: Oxford Children’s Party
Oxford University Press Stand
Oxford University Press will be holding a party with authors including Paul Westmoreland, Matty Long, Robert Tregoning, Alex Falase-Koya, Harriet Muncaster, Jenny Lovlie and Tanya Rosie. Join them on their stand to meet the fabulous authors of some of their upcoming titles, to hear about their latest initiatives in children’s publishing and celebrate the pat year’s achievements with the team.
Wednesday 19th April
10.00 – 10.30: A Conversation with Author Pablo Rivero
Focus Theatre
Pablo will share some thoughts about the secrets to a good crime drama. Pablo is a recognized Spanish thriller author, who has already published 5 novels (No volveré a tener miedo, Penitencia, Las niñas que soñaban con ser vistas, La cría and Dulce hogar), winning great appreciation from readers and critics. Rivero has taken the plunge into literature with disturbing, hypnotic and genuine novels. Pablo became famous as an actor in the internationally well-known TVE series Cuéntame cómo pasó.
Speakers: Author Pablo Rivero, Javier Castillo
10.00 – 10.45: Tech-powered Authors and the Future of Publishing
Author HQ
How books are written and produced, consumed and shared has changed more rapidly in the last decade than the centuries since Gutenberg. The next decade will bring even more exponential change. What does this mean for independent authors and other micro-publishers? Three advisors to the Alliance of Independent Authors offer answers and guidelines.
Speakers: Author Joanna Penn, Ethan Ellenberg
Moderator: Orna Ross
11.00 – 11.45 In Conversation with The Illustrator of the Fair, Dapo Adeola
An illustrator, author and character designer, Dapo Adeola was awarded Illustrator of the Year at The British Book Awards in 2022. His new book Speak Up! will be published by Puffin in May 2023. by He will be in conversation with actress, director and public speaker Kelechi Okafor.
Speaker: Dapo Adeola
Moderator: Kelechi Okafor
11.00 – 11.45: Building Your Publishing Career with Kindle Direct Publishing
Author HQ
Author panel discussion featuring JD Kirk, Clare Lydon and LJ Ross, where they will discuss the steps they took as they built a successful career in publishing.
Speakers: Authors JD Kirk, Clare Lydon and LJ Ross
12.00 – 12.45: Leone Ross and Irenosen Okojie in Conversation
English PEN Literary Salon
Goldsmiths Prize-shortlisted author Leone Ross and Betty Trask award-winner Irenosen Okojie join English PEN to discuss their interest and work in speculative fiction. Following the publication of Glimpse (Peepal Tree), the first anthology of speculative fiction by Black British writers, editor Ross and contributor Okojie will explore speculative fiction’s relevance to freedom of expression, what a Black British tradition of the surreal could look like and how, now more than ever, embracing speculative fiction is a revolutionary act.
Speakers: Authors Leone Ross and Irenosen Okojie
12.00 – 12.45: Preparing for Publication
Author HQ
In this session, you’ll be able to get expert advice on how to prepare for the publication of your next book, with best-selling author Georgina Moore and publishing professionals Lemara Lindsay-Prince and Fergus Edmondson.
Speakers: Author Georgina Moore, Lemara Lindsay-Prince, Fergus Edmondson
13.00 – 13.45 In Conversation with The Adult Author of the Day, Ann Cleeves
Alison Flood will be in conversation with UK crime writer Ann Cleeves to discover one of publishing’s most popular genres. Ann is the author of over thirty-five critically acclaimed novels and the winner of the CWA Diamond Dagger 2017. She’s created detectives Vera Stanhope, Jimmy Perez and Matthew Venn, who can be found in ITV’s Vera, BBC1’s Shetland and ITV’s The Long Call. Her latest book is The Rising Tide, her tenth Vera novel.
Speaker: Ann Cleeves
Moderator: Alison Flood
13.00 – 13.45: Going wide to maximize book sales and reach with Bookvault
Author HQ
Bookvault explains the ins and outs of direct selling, and how you can best implement a direct sales strategy with your titles. This talk will feature a guest appearance from coveted self-author Joanna Penn (@TheCreativePenn), an expert on all things direct sales.
Speakers: Author Joanna Penn, Alex Smith, Luca Melero, Ian Hooper
14.20 – 15.05: Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!
Literary Translation Centre
What constitutes fair pay? And who – and what factors – should determine it? How much work, and of what kind, is it reasonable to expect translators to do for free (or as good as)? For a range of reasons, not everyone feels comfortable discussing their own circumstances or challenging what feel like some established norms; but this panel of translators will talk frankly.
Speakers: Jamie Lee Searle, Ruth Ahmedzai Kemp, Frank Wynne
Moderator: Vineet Lal
14.30 – 15.15: Translating Violence with Sawad Hussain and Annie McDermott
English PEN Literary Salon
Translators Sawad Hussain and Annie McDermott join English PEN to discuss their experiences of translating violence and other graphic content. They will explore the delicate task of translating journalistic accounts of war and trauma, how violence is expressed through language and the self-care involved when tackling graphic content.
Speakers: Author Preti Taneja, Translators Sawad Hussain and Annie McDermott
Thursday 20th April
09.30 – 10.15: War and Writing: Stories from Ukraine
English PEN Literary Salon
Luke Harding, writer and Guardian foreign correspondent; Victoria Amelina, Ukrainian writer; Oleksandr Mykhed, writer, translator, curator, serving for Ukraine Armed Forces, will be in conversation how the war changed Ukrainian literature, how the full-scale invasion affected the lives of Ukrainian writers. The event will be hosted by Dr Uilleam Blacker, Associate Professor of Ukrainian and East European Culture at University College London.
Speakers: Luke Harding, Victoria Amelina, Oleksandr Mykhed
Moderator: Dr Uilleam Blacker
10.00 – 10.45: Keynote Address with Kate Mosse
Main Stage
Kate Mosse OBE is a British novelist, non-fiction and short story writer and broadcaster. She’ll be in conversation with Louise Mary Minchin, author, journalist and former news presenter.
Speaker: Author Kate Mosse
Moderator: Louise Mary Minchin
10.00 – 10.45: Expanding Your Readership with Kindle Direct Publishing
Author HQ
An author panel discussion featuring Mark Dawson, Hannah Lynn and Nicola May, discussing their work and how they’ve been expanding their readership.
Speakers: Authors Mark Dawson, Hannah Lynn and Nicola May
11.00 – 11.45: Writing and Resilience: Navigating the Confidence and Mindset Challenges of Being a Writer
Author HQ
Whether you are a full-time or part-time writer, there are many different challenges you might face on your writing journey – from tackling procrastination, dealing with rejection, or needing a boost for low confidence and productivity, this panel of experts will share their best tricks and tips to help you be the best writer you can be.
Speakers: Authors Katie Khan, Luan Goldie, Kelly Weekes
Moderator: Nicola Solomon
11.05 – 11.50: Decolonising Eastern Europe: Found in Translation
Literary Translation Centre
In this discussion we will explore experiences from the Balkans, Georgia and Ukraine, showcasing examples of decolonizing practices – specifics of writing, and linguistic practices, including the “bridge translation”, trends and topics and discussing challenges faced by authors and translators working today. The panel also aims to reflect on discussions taking place in the sector more broadly as highlighted in the collection of essays Violent Phenomena, exploring translation and its refusal as spaces of resistance and reframing the cultural patterns in different post-Soviet contexts.
Speakers: Nina Murray, Tanja Tuma, Author Ioane Pezuashvili
Moderator: Dr Olha Mukha
12.00 – 12.45: The Power of the Written Word – What can the Book Industry Do to Address Key Society Topics?
Main Stage
What is the role of the Book industry to use the power of the written word to address key societal topics? From addressing mental health and reflecting on a more inclusive society, to achieving a sustainable society and Net Zero 2050 goals.
Speakers: Authors Jasmine Richards and Tskenya-Sarah Frazer, Leah Hernandez, Sanphy Thomas
Moderator: Yolanda Copes-Stepney
12.00 – 12.45: Children Spotlight: How To Get Noticed in a Crowded Market
Author HQ
The children’s market continues to grow, with a plethora of titles released each year. In this event, we will hear the innovative ways to get noticed in a crowded market from the perspective of an author, influencer, editor and publicist.
Speakers: Eve Wescoki Morris, Carla Hutchinson, Joel Rochester, Author Elle McNicoll
Moderator: Caroline Carpenter
13.00 – 13.45: In Conversation with the Children’s Author of the Day, Robin Stevens
Main Stage
Yolanda Copes-Stepney will be in conversation with Robin Stevens, a celebrated Children’s Author. Her first murder mystery for children, Murder Most Unladylike, was published in 2014, and the series is now internationally award-winning and bestselling. Her latest book, The Ministry of Unladylike Activity, is a spy murder mystery set during World War Two that follows on from her original series.
Speaker: Robin Stevens
Moderator: Yolanda Copes-Stepney
13.00 – 13.45: Sophie Keetch in Conversation: Bringing Arthurian legends to life with the Power of Audio
Author HQ
Author of the hit debut Morgan is My Name, Sophie Keetch will be 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.
Speaker: Author Sophie Keetch
Moderator: Mark Stay
13.15 – 14.00: Less Translated Literature from Spain: Asturian, Basque, Galician
Literary Translation Centre
In the Spanish state, a number of cultural diplomacy initiatives have started showcasing a more diverse literary heritage over the last few years, emphasizing Spain’s multilingual character. Yet, languages other than Spanish (and to some extent Catalan) are almost non-existent in British publishers’ catalogs. Aiming to change this translation landscape, this seminar proposes to discuss what are the challenges and opportunities for the less translated languages of Spain with Galician author Xesús Fraga, literary translator from Asturian Robin Munby, publishing editor of Basque books Susie Wildsmith, and translation studies scholar Olga Castro.
Speakers: Dr Olivia Hellewell, Xesús Fraga, Robin Munby, Susie Wildsmith
Moderator: Dr Olga Castro
14.00 – 14.45: New Picture Book Illustration in the Spotlight
Author HQ
Children’s picture books are a global multi-million-pound business. The Klaus Flugge Prize, set up in honor of influential publisher Klaus Flugge of Andersen Press, celebrates new picture book talent and in this special session an expert panel of industry professionals will examine global trends in picture book illustration, and what characterizes the best in illustration. The panel will also analyze how picture book illustration can be a universal language.
Speakers: Prof. Martin Salisbury, Julia Eccleshare, Author Nicholas John Frith, Sue Buswell
14.00 – 15.30: The freedom to publish: authors and publishers fighting SLAPPs and censorship
Main Stage
This session, delivered by the International Publishers Association, the Publishers Association, English PEN and PEN International, will focus on the use of libel laws and SLAPPs (Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation) to intimidate authors and publishers into self-censorship and the importance of the work to defend freedom of expression. Starting with the case studies of two high-profile books published by HarperCollins UK – Putin’s People by Catherine Belton and Kleptopia by Tom Burgis – the session will also examine the risks in other countries in Latin America, Europe and Asia. Finally, the IPA will announce the shortlist for the 2023 IPA Prix Voltaire.
Speakers: Author Tom Burgis, Judha Su, Jeronimo Pimentel, Tanja Tuma
Moderator: Simon Dowson-Collins
