This year's LBF addressed everything from diversity in publishing to the ethics of artificial intelligence and mental health for writers.
London Book Fair was PACKED this year. I admit it: I was initially overwhelmed. Quite a few seminars were standing-room only, and I quickly learned that getting a seat meant showing up early.
That said, it was incredibly inspiring to be surrounded by so many people who care so much about storytelling, books, and the publishing industry. From South Korea to Saudi Arabia, Germany, the United States, and beyond—the geographic representation was enormous. I met agents, authors, editors, and publishers. I attended seminars on the ethics of AI, mental health for writers, and diversity in publishing (other hot topics this year included Booktok and self-publishing, and I loved seeing topics like these, previously considered more "fringe," getting mainstream attention). I drank more coffee than I should have, got less sleep than I would have liked, and left exhausted but VERY happy I went.
Although I was a bit intimidated by the hustle and bustle of the book fair at first, I ultimately left excited and optimistic about the future of publishing—and so grateful for the tiny part I get to play in it. The fact that I get to take a"work trip" that involves three days of nerd-ing out about books is sort of unreal to me. I count myself very lucky that I get to help other people realize their dreams of writing books.
Unfortunately, I didn't get to cross paths with everyone I had hoped to meet or to attend all the seminars I wanted to (particularly disappointed to have missed a session about publishing's preparedness for Generation Alpha). The good news? There will be more events like this in the future, with many more opportunities to connect. If I missed you this year, I hope to find you at the next publishing event. Until then, we've got books to write, edit, design, and promote—and, of course, we've also got plenty of books to read. Thank goodness for that.
Thank you for reading my blog! This is a space where I share personal thoughts — an opportunity for self-expression that has nothing to do with my professional writing. None of the thoughts or opinions expressed in this blog should be construed as anything but my own, nor should they be affiliated with any company or person I contract with or write for.
NOW that that's done... I'd love to hear from you about this blog post in the comments!