London Book Fair 2022

The London Book Fair Keynotes and Seminar Highlights Announced

Olympia, London  5th-7th April 2022

Programme to include UN, Google, HarperCollins, Amazon, PRH, Sharjah Book Authority, Nielsen and more

Authors include Maggie O’Farrell, Monique Roffey, Daisy Johnson, Stacey Halls, Derek Owusu, Peter James, Louise Candlish, Natasha Carthew, KL Slater, Mahsuda Snaith and Milly Johnson

Ben Okri and Louise Moore to deliver keynotes

Main Stage introduced for 2022, featuring expert panels

The London Book Fair (LBF) has announced Booker Prize winning novelist and poet Ben Okri and Penguin Michael Joseph Managing Director Louise Moore as the keynote speakers for this year’s Fair.

Okri, acclaimed author of The Famished Road, will appear in conversation with journalist Sarah Shaffi, discussing the role of art during challenging and divisive times. Publishing expert Moore will shine a light on the importance of commercial fiction for the book industry and explore why it does not receive the same respect as other genres.

This year’s The London Book Fair will feature the introduction of the Main Stage is a theatre, sponsored by Legible, which will host agenda-setting talks and panel sessions led by experts from across the publishing industry.

Highlights from the Main Stage, sponsored by Legible, include:

Ben Okri: Art in a Time of Crisis. Wednesday 6th April, 11:00 -11:45, Main Stage. Booker Prize winning novelist and poet appears in conversation with journalist and editor Sarah Shaffi to discuss the importance and role of art in challenging times.

Why does the publishing industry not better recognise the merits and importance of commercial fiction? Tuesday 5th April, 10:30-11:15, Main Stage. Louise Moore, Managing Director of Penguin Michael Joseph, discusses the importance of commercial fiction for publishers, and asks why the industry does not champion its success.

The Role of Publishing and Culture During Global Conflict. Tuesday 5th April, 15:15-16:00, Main Stage. In a session led by the Publishers Association, representatives from the British Council, International Publishers Association and Cambridge University Press consider the role of publishers and wider cultural institutions during global conflict, and debate how culture can play a role during difficult times around the world.

COVID-19: What's next for publishing? Tuesday 5th April, 11:45-12:30, Main Stage. Representatives from Nosy Crow, HarperCollins, Bookouture, Amazon Publishing and the Booksellers Association explore how the pandemic has impacted the publishing industry and how it may shape the future of the book world.

Nielsen Report –The UK book market: Pandemic effects and the picture in 2022. Wednesday 6th April, 12:00-12:45, Main Stage. Nielsen Books highlights the publishing trends which emerged during the pandemic, and reveals what readers have been buying over the past two years.

The Future of Book Supply. Wednesday 6th April, 10:00-10:45, Main Stage. HE Ahmed Al Ameri, Chairman of Sharjah Book Authority, speaks with David Taylor, MD of Lightning Source UK, about the future of the supply chain and print on demand, with examples of the work being done at Sharjah Publishing City.

The Future of Work is Hybrid. Tuesday 5th April, 13:00-13:45, Main Stage. Spokespeople from Google Workspace, Hachette and Tsedal Neeley, author of Remote Work Revolution: Succeeding From Anywhere look at how technology could help the publishing industry to build a successful hybrid working model.

In addition to the series of world class sessions on the Main Stage throughout the three days of The London Book Fair, a seminar programme of expert panels, author talks, and industry presentations will be taking place across Olympia.

The seminar programme runs across Author HQ, Highlights from the seminar programme include:

Tuesday 5th April

Maggie O’Farrell In Conversation. Tuesday 5th April, 13:30-14:15, English PEN Literary Salon. Author of the Day Maggie O’Farrell, Sunday Times bestselling author and winner of the Women’s Prize for Fiction, appears in discussion with journalist Jo Finney, giving an insight into her writing process, talking about Hamnet, and highly anticipated upcoming novel The Marriage Portrait.

The Power of the Bookshop: The Role Booksellers Play in Championing Your Book. Tuesday 5th April, 13:15-13:45, Buzz Theatre. Emma Bradshaw, Head of Campaigns at Booksellers Association, joins Bookbar founder Chrissy Ryan and author Ingrid Persaud to discuss how bookshops can celebrate and amplify titles.

Celebrating Working Class Writing. Tuesday 5th April, 14:20-15:05, Author HQ. Working class writers Eva Verde, Natasha Carthew and Mahsuda Snaith discuss why it is important to include conversations around class when it comes to improving diversity and representation in publishing.

Trending on TikTok= book sales: the perfect equation? Tuesday 5th April, 12:10-12:55, Author HQ. Social media experts including Naomi Bacon from Tandem Collective, author Fiona Lucas, Zaahida Nabagereka, Head of Social Impact at Penguin Random House UK and Ashley Baugh, Associate Director at Midas, discuss the role of TikTok in the book world and ask which trends on the platform are here to stay.

London Book Fair Charity of the Year presents… Happy Here: Centering Traditionally Marginalised Narratives in Children’s Publishing. Tuesday 5th April, 13:00 – 13:45, Olympia Theatre. LBF 2022 Charity of the Year, the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE), hosts a panel with author and academic Darren Chetty, trailblazing independent publisher Knights Of, and national charity, BookTrust, discussing how the three organisations came together to publish and champion Happy Here, as well as exploring the importance of moving discourse away from defending the necessity of inclusive literature towards the value of improving the quality of publishing output to better serve the readership.

How publishers can successfully create a culture of diversity and inclusion. Tuesday 5th April, 16:30-17:15, Main Stage. Cat Mitchell, Lecturer and Programme Leader for the Creative Writing and Publishing BA at the University of Derby provides actionable guidance for creating a diverse and inclusive workspace.

Sharjah Market Focus: In Conversation with HE Mohammed Al-Murr. Tuesday 5th April, 16:30-17:15, English PEN Literary Salon. Short story writer Al-Murr discusses his work and the influence of Emirati literature.

Across language and time: translating classics. Tuesday 5th April, 16:30-17:15, Olympia Theatre. The Polish Book Institute and the Spotlight on Catalan organisers Institution Ramon Llull host a panel on the challenges of translating classic literature from William Shakespeare and Jane Austen.

Wednesday 6th April

From Book to Screen: Crime and Thrillers. Wednesday 6th April, 13:15-14:00, Author HQ. Bestselling crime writers Peter James, Kate Ruby and Louise Candlish share how they keep readers gripped, both on the page and onscreen.

The Cover Design Wheel of Fortune. Wednesday 6th April, 17:00-17:45, Author HQ. By popular demand, designers Ceara Elliot, Jack Smyth and Nico Taylor return to The London Book Fair, using real life case studies to explore the book cover design process from beginning to end.

In conversation with Afra Atiq, Emirati poet, spoken word artist and PhD Candidate and LBF Author of the Day. Wednesday 6th April, 13:30-14:15, English PEN Literary Salon. Market Focus Author of the Day Atiq appears in conversation, discussing her career and what inspires her poetry.

Independent Women: The Tale of Three Start-ups. Wednesday 6th April, 12:30- 13:15, Olympia Theatre. Magic Cat Publishing, Guppy Books and Hashtag Press, three small independent presses run by award-winning women, discuss the realities of setting up a publisher in the Children’s sector and what their experiences have taught them.

Illustrator of the Fair: Diane Ewen. Wednesday 6th April, 14:30-15:00, Author HQ. Award-winning illustrator Ewen speaks about her career, what she hopes to communicate through her illustrations, and representation in Children’s books.

KL Slater in Conversation: Writing for Audio. Wednesday 6th April, 11:00-11:30, Author HQ. Audible bestselling author KL Slater discusses publishing fifteen titles in just six years, the challenges and rewards of writing specifically for audio, and how audiobooks have helped to build her fanbase and brand as an author.

Pajtim Stavoci in conversation with Octavia Bright. Wednesday 6th April, 12:00-12:45, English PEN Literary Salon. Award-winning novelist Stavoci speaks to writer and broadcaster Bright about love, war and migration on the eve of the publication of his latest novel Bolla.

Bringing Dutch Literature to the World. Wednesday 6th April, 12:10-12:55, Literary Translation Centre. The London Book Fair’s dedication to translation continues as the Dutch Foundation for Literature and Amazon Crossing host a conversation on the importance of Dutch literature and the nuances of translating works from the Netherlands.

Sustainability Conference: programmed by IPA, PA and Elsevier. Wednesday 6th April, 13:30-16:30, Main Stage. High level discussion on how sustainability translates for the publishing industry.

Thursday 7th April

Greg James and Chris Smith In Conversation. Thursday 7th April, 13:30-14:15, English PEN Literary Salon. The Great Dream Robbery and Kid Normal writers Greg James & Chris Smith will discuss their bestselling work and their upcoming release Super Ghost.

How to Make a Living From Writing. Thursday 7th April, 10:45-11:30, Author HQ. An expert panel from the Society of Authors, including Nicola Solomon, Juliet McKenna, Abie Longstaff and Katrina Naomi, share their tips for earning money through writing, and the best opportunities for aspiring authors.

Building A Better, Greener Business. Thursday 7th April, 10:00-12:00, Olympia Theatre. Nielsen Books explores how the pandemic has impacted supply chains, and what can be done to build a more sustainable, resilient system.

Derek Owusu in conversation with Tice Cin. Thursday 7th April, 12:00-12:45, English PEN Literary Salon. Owusu, award-winning author of That Reminds Me discusses displacement, mental health across generations and the desire to find one’s voice in his forthcoming book Losing The Plot.

How I Write. Thursday 7th April, 13:00-13:45, Author HQ. Bestselling novelists Stacey Halls, Milly Johnson and Tim Sullivan provide a behind-the-scenes look at their writing routines, offering insight into how they write.

Publishing Outside of London: what are the benefits? Thursday 7th April, 15:15-16:00, Author HQ. The benefits of regional publishers’ offices is discussed by a panel consisting of Chief Executive of New Writing North Claire Malcolm, Publishing Director at HarperNorth Genevieve Pegg, Publishing Director at Sweet Cherry Publishing Sanjee de Silva, and Publishing Director at Comma Press, Ra Page.

New Fiction at the Threshold of Myth. Thursday 7th April, 11:45-12:30, Author HQ. Catalan author and European Union Prize for Literature winner Irene Solà speaks to acclaimed novelist Daisy Johnson about the influence of folktales on literature, and how modern fiction blurs mythology and reality.

Subscription Reading Programs and Translated Literature. Thursday 7th April, 12:10-12:55, Literary Translation Centre. Amazon Publishing shares more on their subscription reading programmes Amazon First Reads, Prime Reading, and Kindle Unlimited, and explains how these help readers discover global translations.

Andy Ventris, Director of The London Book Fair, said: “We are delighted to share highlights from this year’s agenda-setting seminar programme, and to announce 2022 keynote speakers. Ben Okri is one of the most celebrated poets and authors of our time, while Louise Moore is at the very forefront of British publishing, and we are honoured to have them both at this year’s fair. We know that attendees will be eager to hear their thoughts on publishing, the impact of books in our society, and how the industry may evolve in future.

”The London Book Fair's events programme is renowned for its insight into publishing and the introduction of the Main Stage for 2022 provides a platform for some of the most exciting sessions we have ever programmed. We are thrilled to have such an incredible range of organisations appearing across this year’s seminar programme, and look forward to learning from the knowledge and experience of our speakers.”

The London Book Fair (LBF) is the largest spring book trade and publishing event in the world, and will take place in person for the first time in two years at Olympia London, 5-7th April 2022.

Visitor registration is now open, click here for details 

The full 2022 seminar programme is available to view on The London Book Fair website

Follow on Twitter @LondonBookFair #LBF22

London Book Fair 2020

THE LONDON BOOK FAIR AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED

LBF International Excellence Awards: Asia and Europe lead the way

CAMEOs: Little Women, Life of Pi, Elizabeth is Missing and Norse Mythology triumph

UK Book Blog Awards: Sentimental Garbage, Julia’s Bookcase, WhatSallyReadNext and Leena Norms crowned winners

LBF 2021, the 50th Fair, will take place from 9-11 March 2021

LONDON 11 March 2020: The winners of The London Book Fair’s International Excellence Awards 2020, CAMEO Awards, and UK Book Blog Awards, have been announced.

N.B. Following the cancellation of The London Book Fair 2020, the LBF International Excellence Awards, CAMEO Awards, and UK Book Blog Awards ceremonies did not take place. Instead winners were announced online and prizes posted to winners around the world.

INTERNATIONAL EXCELLENCE AWARDS

The winners of The London Book Fair’s International Excellence Awards, in association with the Publishers Association, have been announced, with Europe and Asia leading the way with five and four winners respectively.

The LBF International Excellence Awards winners include:

Shortlisted in three categories, Karadi Tales (India) took home The Audiobook Publisher of the Year. The judges congratulated them on their “firm commercial focus on their future web-based strategy, and continued dedication to both educating and entertaining young people in India.” A special mention was bestowed on a Mozambique start-up, Editora Trinta Zero Nove, for their “innovative focus on under-served groups, particularly women from rural areas, and their ambitious plans for the future.”

Maadi Public Library in Egypt was crowned Library of the Year, with judges praising the library’s “sheer energy, diversity and vibrancy” and their “holistic programme, including management and leadership activities and entrepreneurial skills for women and girls, a focus on global issues such as water scarcity and new ideas around digital skills.”

The Bookstore of the Year Award, sponsored by Gardners, went to Unity Books Auckland (New Zealand) for “their wonderful and ‘dangerously tempting’ store, and for developing career booksellers, growing their business substantially, and their commitment and actions to become carbon zero by 2025.”

Indonesia’s Macassar International Writers’ Festival was awarded The Literary Festival Award, after Indonesia was the Market Focus country of 2019. The judges said that the Festival “has developed a radically inclusive operation transparent in its working methods and fearless in its programming.” A special mention also went to Ireland’s newly created The Dingle Literary Festival.

Praised for their Solar Homework Clubs initiative, Book Aid International won The Educational Initiatives Award. Assisting the education of all student refugees, especially vulnerable girls, Solar Homework Clubs are solar libraries with provisions of solar lamps and books – “a solution that is cost effective, replicable and scalable in a world with an increasing refugee population – and it changes lives” said the judges.

Winner of the Literary Translation Initiative Award was Yiddish Book Center (USA), which the judges called a “unique organisation that involves the public, publishers, libraries, and upcoming generations of translators in a broad and imaginative programme to preserve the past and safeguard the future of this language and its culture.”

Meanwhile, European winners included The Literary Agent Award, which went to María Lynch from Casanovas & Lynch Literary Agency (Spain), The Rights Professional Award, sponsored by Sharjah Book Authority, awarded to Tuomas Sorjamaa from Ferly (Finland) and Apicula Verlag, GMbH, who took home The Educational Learning Resources Award, with an additional special mention bestowed on the Arab Federation for Libraries & Information (Egypt).

This year’s Inclusivity in Publishing Award, supported by the Publishers Association, was conferred to Bonnier. The judges were especially impressed with “their efforts to provide accessible books for children from all socio-economic backgrounds is noteworthy, as is their efforts to diversify future talent pipelines. Bonnier has implemented admirable measures to improve equality in the workplace, and this is being reflected in the content of the books they publish.”

The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Nigel Newton, Founder and Chief Executive of Bloomsbury Publishing, for his outstanding contribution to the book industry, publishing international best-selling works by Khaled Hosseini, Margaret Atwood, JK Rowling, William Dalrymple, and many more.

Commenting on Nigel’s award Paul Boateng, Former MP and Chair of Book Aid International, said: “Nigel Newton’s leadership in the publishing industry and his championing of the role of Books and Publishing not least in the field of International Development over many years has been of huge significance. He has made an outstanding contribution both professionally and personally. Book Aid International continue to value him as our Honorary President and join with many others in wishing him well going forward.”

Mark Bide was awarded The London Book Fair’s Simon Master Chairman’s Award. In his career spanning four decades, Mark has been committed to the creation of a modern, efficient supply chain for the global publishing industry. His ground-breaking work includes the introduction of standardised product metadata, identifiers, subject categories, and communication protocols – all of which the publishing industry relies heavily on.

Mark has also been an energetic advocate for copyright, doing pioneering work on behalf of thousands of journalists and publishers. He designed and built the Automated Content Access Protocol (ACAP), allowing content owners to communicate their copyright terms and conditions online in a language that can be read by Google and Facebook. In addition, he has consistently championed the needs of those with reading disabilities, by working to ensure that accessibility metadata be included within the ONIX standard, thereby improving access to books worldwide for the reading disabled community.

Jacks Thomas, Director of The London Book Fair, said: “The International Excellence Awards always remind us of the innovative, important and inspiring work being done by all those in the global publishing and book community. From translators in India and librarians in Finland to literary festivals in Ukraine and literary agents in France, these awards show the breadth of talent working in the industry around the world today. The London Book Fair, is delighted to celebrate this global industry at this difficult juncture, and we look forward to welcoming everyone back to London for the 50th LBF in 2021.”

Stephen Lotinga, Chief Executive, The UK Publishers Association, said: “Congratulations to all the winners of this year’s International Excellence Awards. It’s inspiring to see the work and innovation in publishing around the globe. Although it is disappointing not be able to meet and congratulate everyone in person it’s fantastic to see the awards will be sent across the world – from Italy to India, Indonesia to New Zealand - a true reflection of the international nature of publishing.”

The full list of this year’s International Excellence winners is below:

The Academic and Professional Publisher Award: Princeton University Press (USA)

The Audiobook Publisher of the Year: Karadi Tales (India)

The Bookstore of the Year Award, sponsored by Gardners: Unity Books Auckland (New Zealand)

The Educational Initiatives Award: Book Aid International (UK / Kenya)

The Educational Learning Resources Award, supported by The China Publishing & Media Journal: Apicula Verlag, GMbH (Germany)

The Library of the Year Award: Maadi Public Library (Egypt)

The Literary Translation Initiative Award: Yiddish Book Center (USA)

The Literary Agent Award: Maria Lynch - Casanovas & Lynch Literary Agency (Spain)

The Literary Festival Award: Macassar International Writers’ Festival (Indonesia)

The Rights Professional Award, sponsored by Sharjah Book Authority: Tuomas Sorjamaa, Ferly (Finland)

Eligible for entries from all countries, including the UK:

Accessible Books Consortium International Excellence Award: Publisher: Macmillan Learning (USA)

Accessible Books Consortium International Excellence Award: Initiative: Fondazione LIA (Italy)

Eligible for entries from the UK only:

Inclusivity in Publishing Award, supported by the Publishers Association: Bonnier

Winners around the world will be sent their International Excellence Awards by The London Book Fair.

CAMEO AWARDS

Four exceptional winners have been announced for the fourth annual Creativity Across Media: Entertainment and Originality Awards (CAMEOs). The awards recognise the best book adaptations across film, TV, audio and stage, celebrating books at the heart of the creative industries. The 2020 winners are: 

BOOK TO FILM AWARD

Little Women

Book original by Louisa May Alcott

Directed by: Greta Gerwig

Screenplay: Greta Gerwig

BOOK TO STAGE AWARD

Life of Pi

Book original by Yann Martel (Canongate)

Adapted by Lolita Chakrabarti for Sheffield Crucible

BOOK TO TV AWARD

Elizabeth is Missing

Book original by Emma Healey (Penguin)

Adapted by Andrea Gibb

BOOK TO AUDIO AWARD

Norse Mythology

Book original by Neil Gaiman

(Bloomsbury)

Adapted by Penguin Random House

Jacks Thomas, Director of The London Book Fair and London Book & Screen Week, said: “From classic stories to modern novels, the past year has seen a wealth of fantastic adaptations across stage, audio and screen, that speak to the valuable role books play within the creative industries. We know that adapted works tend to attract more revenue and critical acclaim than their counterparts and this year’s wonderful winners also show how adaptations allow great books to be enjoyed again and again in new forms and by new generations.”

Expert judges from all sectors of the entertainment industry deliberated across each of the categories. This year’s judges, chaired by Helen Macaleer, are: Philippa Donovan (Smart Quill), Philippa Milnes Smith (Soho Agency), Katrien Roos (Harbottle and Lewis), John Lomas (Bullivant/Kickback Media), Hayley Steed (Madeleine Milburn Agency), Colin Williams (Sixteen South), Videl Bar Kar (Bookwire), Jessica Maslen (Blair Partnership), Tamsin Collison, Julia Posen, Charlotte Longstaff (LW Theatres), Rina Gill (RGM Productions).

Little Women was adapted from the 1868 novel by Louisa May Alcott, widely acknowledged to be one of the most influential books in the canon of 19th century American literature, and which has seen several prior adaptations to stage and film since the novel’s original publication. Among a star-studded cast it featured Saoirse Ronan, Emma Watson, Florence Pugh, Eliza Scanlen and Laura Dern as the sisters of the March family, and was directed by acclaimed director Greta Gerwig. The judges were impressed with this “clever and stunning adaptation of a classic book, retold through the eyes of an adult woman making the story completely relevant to a modern audience.”

Life of Pi was adapted for stage by screenwriter and RADA graduate Lolita Chakrabarti for Sheffield Crucible from Yann Martel’s award-winning 2001 novel. With the show having received rave reviews in The Observer, The Sunday Times and The Mail on Sunday, the judges felt that “this impressive and immersive adaptation was a huge accomplishment. To present the dramatisation of a beloved and metaphorical book with such innovation, skill and phenomenal storytelling is a true credit to the team involved.”

Elizabeth is Missing was adapted from Emma Healey’s 2014 novel, which that year won the Costa Book Award for Best First Novel. Starring Glenda Jackson, Liv Hill and Sophie Rundle among others, it was adapted by novel it was adapted by Scottish screenwriter Andrea Gibb and was directed by BAFTA award-winning director Aisling Walsh. Broadcast on BBC One at the end of 2019, the judges were “very moved by the incredibly strong adapted script and the compelling performances from all the actors, with special mention for Glenda Jackson's virtuoso performance in this powerful family story.”

Norse Mythology was adapted from Neil Gaiman’s 2017 retelling of stories from Norse Mythology. It was adapted by Penguin Random House for its BBC Digital Audio imprint, and Diana Rigg, Derek Jacobi, Colin Morgan, Natalie Dormer and Neil Gaiman himself among its stellar cast. The judges commented that the adaptation “was an excellent production bringing a key pantheon of half-forgotten gods to a modern audience in both an entertaining and educational way. The judges loved the ambition of this audio book.”

UK BOOK BLOG AWARDS

The winners of The London Book Fair’s UK Book Blog Awards 2020 winners are:

Book Podcaster of the Year: Caroline O’Donoghue’s Sentimental Garbage

The judges said ‘Sentimental Garbage is slick, brilliantly edited and a lot of fun to listen to. Caroline created the podcast to question why chick-lit tends to be overlooked as ‘literature’… with great guests and a fantastic selection of books, it starts important conversations!’

The Comma Press Podcast was also highly commended by the judges, who added ‘This indie, literary podcast produces above its cloud. It’s only the beginning, and we are excited to hear more.’

Book Vlogger of the Year Award: Leena Norms

Judges said of Leena Norms, created by 2019 Trailblazer, Leena Normington: ‘Leena is warm, personable and engaging – a natural. Her content is refreshing and fun, and we love her authentic voice!’

Book Blogger of the Year: Julia’s Bookcase

Judges commented: ‘Julia’s Bookcase is varied, readable and thorough – centring on the reading experience. There is a fantastic range of content, including the ‘Bookshop Guides’ to different towns across the UK and tips on how to use Instagram.’

Bookstagrammer of the Year: What Sally Read Next

Judges said: ‘‘What Sally Read Next has as much style as substance. With a fantastic following and great engagement, Sally is committed to posting various types of content. Her flat lay is beautiful, with a good mix of new and old book titles, bookshops and personal pictures.’ 

Helen Clifford, Marketing Manager of The London Book Fair, said “We are so pleased to recognise the brilliant work being done by our winners to engage with fellow readers, promote new and forgotten books, and champion all kinds of authors. The incredible quality of the longlists really showcases the impressive range of talent and creativity to be found in the more bookish corners of social media and underlines why influencers are so key for the publishing industry.”

The judging panel, comprised of experts from across the book industry: Paul Black (Publicity Director at Andersen Press), Rosie Beaumont-Thomas (Events & Outreach Manager at Royal Society of Literature) and Shahroo Izadi (author of The Last Diet and The Kindness Method), all of whom returned to judge the Awards for a second year.

The UK Book Blog Awards 2020 shortlist is announced as below:

Book Blogger:

Bluebird Reviews

By CK Robertson

Julia’s Bookcase

Bookstagrammer:

The Halcyon Days of Summer

What Sally Read Next

Zubs Covered

Book Vlogger:

Leena Norms

Lonesome Reader

The Book Belle

Book Podcaster:

Down the Rabbit Hole

Sentimental Garbage

The Comma Press Podcast

The London Book Fair will return from 9 to 11 March 2021.

Baltic Books Blog Tour..

This year the Baltic countries – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – are celebrating 100 years of independence with new translations of Baltic Books coming to the UK for the first time and a series of cultural events happening across the UK.

The Baltic countries – Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – will be the Market Focus for the London Book Fair 2018 (10th – 12th April).

I'm really excited to have been invited to share the work of one of these talented authors and I'm pleased to introduce the author, Jānis Joņevs to talk about his novel, Doom 94.

Introduction to Doom 94 by Jānis Joņevs

Jānis Joņevs

In general it’s a story of growing up in 90ties Latvia. Between the failed socialism and not yet arrived capitalism, no man’s land in time. 

Like youngsters should do, heroes of the book look for another revolution and find it into extreme metal music. This leads to some specific way of life, which includes permanent state of exaltation and despair, always picking the worst choices and having fun about it. Promises are given to stay like that eternally. But, I guess treason is what growing up means. 

It’s not an autobiography, but most of things described were real events. I used my life as a material for the book. The conclusion I got from this – we believed that we are unique, absolutely different. The popularity of this book proved that we were not.

This is also a story about memory. I write about being young when I’m already adult. I recognize that memory has deviated the events and that even the past, our imperturbable and sacred past can change if we take the risk to look deep into it. 

And, of course, this is a dedication to my city. It was believed to be the ugliest place ever. We made it the centre of universe. 

Doom 94 by Jānis Joņevs will be soon published by Wrecking Ball Press, translated by Kaija Strautmanis

London Book Fair


Follow on Twitter @LondonBookFair #LBF18


@BalticBooks #LBFBaltics


My thanks to Hannah @midaspr for the invitation to be part
of this blog tour

London Book Fair 2018...

MEET A LITERARY AGENT AT THE LONDON BOOK FAIR!

Bookings now open for LBF’s Agent One-to-One programme

News for release, 2 March 2018: The London Book Fair (LBF), the UK’s biggest gathering of international publishers and agents, has announced bookings are now open for its Agent One-to-One programme, which will take place in LBF’s Author HQ - the area of the Fair dedicated to writers and aspiring writers.

The Agent One-to-One programme offers Author HQ attendees the opportunity to meet with a leading literary agent, who will be on hand to offer advice on the publishing process and provide feedback on authors’ pitches and ideas. 

Participating agents this year include representatives from AM Heath, Darley Anderson, David Higham Associates, DKW Literary Agency, MBA, Peters Fraser & Dunlop, Sheil Land Associates and Susanna Lea Associates. Between them, the agents’ areas of interest cover everything from children’s publishing, middle grade and YA, to SF and fantasy, as well as literary fiction, commercial fiction, historical fiction and crime thrillers. Narrative non-fiction and memoir are also covered.

Meetings are by appointment only, and need to be booked in advance of the Fair

How to book:

Tickets cost £25 and appointments can be booked by visiting: 

http://www.londonbookfair.co.uk/agents

Asif Sardar, previous participant in LBF’s Agent One-to-One programme said: “It was a pleasure to meet up with a professional agent who was interested in my work and offered insightful opinions. Highly recommended for anyone looking to step out from the secret garden of isolated authoring into the daunting world of commercial publishing.

Author HQ, one of the most popular features of the Fair, will have plenty on offer for both established and aspiring writers, including a three-day seminar programme with industry experts and authors taking to the stage to share their expertise and experience. All Author HQ events are free-to-attend with the purchase of a three-day pass, required to access The London Book Fair.

~****~

For all you Budding Authors...

The London Book Fair’s ever-popular writing competition issues Call for Entries for 2018!

London, 20 February 2018: The London Book Fair (LBF), the UK’s biggest gathering of international publishers and agents, has announced the Call for Entries for its ever-popular writing competition, The Write Stuff, which will take place on Thursday 12 April in LBF’s Author HQ - the area of the Fair dedicated to writers and aspiring writers, which is sponsored by IngramSpark and Kindle Direct Publishing.

The competition takes the form of a “Dragon’s Den” style panel event. Six authors will pitch their books to a panel of literary agents, and an Author HQ audience, for the chance to win a follow-up meeting with a literary agent and a free year’s membership to LBF’s Author Club. This year’s panel of judges includes representatives from Felicity Bryan Associates, Jo Unwin Literary Agency, Marjacq, MBA and Peters Fraser & Dunlop.

Authors will have three minutes each to pitch – to introduce themselves and present their work. The judging panel will then provide on-the-spot feedback to each pitch, as well as the authors’ writing, having received in advance of the competition sample chapters of each finalist’s work. 

The key deadlines for this year’s The Write Stuff are:

With immediate effect: Entries are now open and authors are invited to send in their submissions tolbfauthorhq@midaspr.co.uk in accordance with the published guidelines and application process

Friday 9 March 2018, 5:00pm: Deadline for entries

Wednesday 14 March 2018: Longlist notified and asked to send in the first three chapters of their work

Monday 19 March 2018, 5:00pm: Deadline for longlisted authors to submit their work

Friday 23 March 2018: The Write Stuff finalists will be notified and invited to pitch on the day

Thursday 12 April 2018, 2:00pm-4:00pm: The Write Stuff competition takes place

Rochelle Bugg, winner of The Write Stuff 2017, said: Winning The Write Stuff has been a fantastic springboard for me over the past year. It has helped me sign with an agent, given me valuable extra ‘clout’ when speaking with publishers and, perhaps most importantly, renewed my confidence in my book and my ideas.” 

The winner of the 2018 competition will be announced on the day. Whilst the judging panel deliberate, last year’s winner, Rochelle Bugg, will take part in a Q&A in Author HQ to update on her year since her competition win. 

Susannah Stapleton, a previous finalist in The Write Stuff competition, will see the book she pitched at the event in 2016, The Adventures of Maud West, Lady Detective, published by Pan Macmillan in 2019. 

Author HQ, one of the most popular features of the Fair, will have plenty on offer for both established and aspiring writers, including a three-day seminar programme with industry experts and authors taking to the stage to share their expertise and experience. Aspiring authors and established authorpreneurs will be also able to meet the book marketing and production experts offering the go-to solutions for self-publishing success in The Writer’s Block – the destination for Author Services at the Fair, located next to Author HQ.

All Author HQ events are free-to-attend with the purchase of a three-day pass which also includes access to LBF’s extensive Insights Seminar programme of 200+ events covering all aspects of the publishing industry. Seminar places are allocated on a first come, first served basis.

Information on how to enter the The Write Stuff competition is below and can also be found at:http://www.londonbookfair.co.uk/authorhq. For further information about The London Book Fair and ticket information, please visit www.londonbookfair.co.uk.

The Write Stuff - Entry criteria

Authors wishing to enter The Write Stuff competition should email lbfauthorhq@midaspr.co.uk putting The Write Stuff in the subject heading of their email and send a covering note and synopsis about the book they would like to pitch to the agent panel and why they should be chosen. Entries should be in the main body of the email – please do not send attachments. 250 words total word count for each application, including any covering note

Authors may enter up to two separate books. The deadline to enter is Friday 9 March 2018, 5:00pm - entries received after this will not be considered

The six finalists will be notified on Friday 23 March 2018

The judges’ decision is final and no correspondence will be entered in to

Applicants must have at least three sample chapters of their work available to be considered for entry

Published deadlines are final and no extensions will be offered 

Good Luck !!

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