Adam Ridgway, Director of The London Book Fair has announced that this year’s edition of the UK’s largest gathering of publishers, booksellers, authors, literary agents, translators, and international rights agents will welcome 845 exhibitors. This is his first in the role having been appointed director of the fair in April 2024.
The book fair, described as the “largest spring gathering of the global publishing industry,” is scheduled to run from March 11 to 13, 2025, at London’s Olympia.
“The London Book Fair is good for the book industry and good for London,” Ridway said at the press briefing to herald the fair. He informed his audience that 106 companies will take part despite the limited space on account of ongoing improvements to the venue.
Confirmed speakers, according to the organisers, include “best-selling novelist and chair of judges for the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2024 Monica Ali, Argentine novelist and screenwriter Claudia Piñeiro, and the current Waterstones Children’s Laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce as Authors of the Day. Comics artist and British Book Awards winner Jamie Smart is also confirmed as the first ever Creative of the Fair.”
Responding to a question regarding the choice of Claudia Piñeiro, Ridway described her as one of the leading literary figures from Argentina in terms of literary acclaim and book sales.
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A total number of 100 seminars and talks have been scheduled for this year’s fair and topics include “AI and Copyright: Policy Developments in the UK and US” as well as “From Book to Screen: Transforming a Best-selling Book into a Hit TV Series.”
Attendees can also join a seminar on “Why We Need Working Class Writers and Readers” and gain insights into the £7.1bn plus UK publishing industry (2023 figures) at the “Faster, Higher, Stronger? The UK and International Book Markets in 2024” seminar.
With exhibitors drawn from across the globe, the top 10 countries expected at the fair are the United Kingdom, the United States, China, Germany, India, Turkey, Italy, Canada, Netherlands and Sweden.
The London Book Fair noted in an email that “main Stage Keynote speakers include James Daunt (Waterstones and Barnes and Noble) and David Shelley (Hachette UK & US) whio will discuss the evolving publishing landscape in a global keynote. Others are Taylor-Dior Rumble (author of The Situationship) and Will Rayfet Hunter.
Adam Ridgway announced that the fair will feature a mystery guest speaker whose identity the organisers are keeping close to their chests. In response to a question from thelagosreview.ng, Adam Ridgway shared only that the mystery guest is male.
This year’s London Book Fair judging from the line-up of speakers, large number of exhibitors and full programming promises a three day extravaganza and a true barometer for gauging the state of the global publishing and book industry.