The London Book Fair had its third and final day on 14 March, bringing the largest spring book trade and publishing event in the world to a close, with over 1,000 exhibitors and 30,000 attendees over the three days.
From publishers to authors, literary agents to booksellers, translators, and VIPs, the last three days have seen representatives from the global book industry do business, share expertise, network and attend sessions covering key issues across the industry.
Gareth Rapley, director of The London Book Fair said, “What a brilliant Fair it’s been. We are delighted to see an incredibly strong attendance level across all days with excitement from start to finish – a testament to our compelling seminar program and Fair offering overall. We’ve loved having Joseph Coelho and Michael Sheen attend today alongside many other inspiring panel speakers and VIP guests, and hope everyone enjoyed each day they came along and they had a productive Fair. We’re already looking forward to 2025!”
The final day of The London Book Fair opened with opening remarks from author and podcaster Kelechi Okafor, a video address by Bodour Al Qasimi, CEO of Kalimat Group, unveiling the shortlist of the PublisHER Excellence Awards, and a keynote panel on the Main Stage from SheEOs in Publishing, made up of Judith Curr the president and publisher of the HarperOne Group, HarperCollins Publishers, Ameena Sayid, founder and managing director of Lightstone Publishers and Emma House the founder of Oreham.
Children’s Author of the Day, Joseph Coelho took to the main stage for a discussion with actor and broadcaster Greg McKenzie, where they shared insider tips for literary resources, inspirations, and how Joseph actually signed his first deal at LBF!
Over on Author HQ, YA Spotlight: How To Get Noticed in a Crowded Market, saw authors, Danielle Jawando and Lex Croucher join, Charlotte Eyre from The Bookseller and content creator Samantha Soar to talk about how to utilize BookTok with full impact to cut through the noise.
Back at the Main Stage, Nicola Usborne, managing director at Usborne Publishing, Helen Freeman, director of Oxford Children’s at Oxford University Press, Cassie Chadderton, chief Executive of World Book Day, Jonathan Douglas, CEO of National Literacy Trust and Kelechi Okafor, sat down for a chat about cultivating a culture of reading for pleasure in a rapidly evolving digital world, sharing their insights into what the industry can do to captivate readers of all ages.
The Fair also welcomed Michael Sheen, Actor and Philanthropist, Farrah Storr from Substack, Tracey Markham, the Head of UK at Audible, writer Sunjeev Sahota, and Katy Shaw, Professor of Contemporary Writing and Publishing at Northumbria University, to the Main Stage for a phenomenal discussion about access and representation, exploring the state of play in the creative industries and access schemes and missions that are shaping the creative landscape.
Upon visiting the fair, Dame Caroline Dinenage MP, Chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee said: “The £11 billion value of the publishing industry to the British economy was apparent from today’s visit to the London Book Fair. From children’s books to fiction to academic textbooks, the UK has the strongest literary tradition in the world, and it is the publishing industry that maintains that tradition. I am very grateful to the Publishers Association for hosting me at the Book Fair today and for speaking to me about the challenges that the sector faces, which will greatly inform the work that the Committee is doing to support the UK’s world-beating creative industries.”
Diving into all things BooKTok, content creators Joseph Hall, Amy Andrawos, Anya Smith, and Zubs Malik discussed BookTok’s undeniable influence on the book sales market sharing expert tips and advice for authors wanting to make their mark on the digital sphere.
