Though long thought to be more of a rights and insider fair, 23,000 visitors to London Book Fair annually prove that it is a popular fair not only for industry experts.
London Book Fair 2011 Highlights
Apart from special events highlighting the eventful 40-year history of the London Book Fair (LBF), visitors can expect a multitude of seminars, events and workshops around all areas of the book trade. Plus, prestigious prizes like the LBF Lifetime Achievement Award will also be awarded. Here’s a selection of must-see stops:
- Digital Zone showcases book technology of the future
- Author Lounge presents informative talks by and for writers
- English PEN Literary Café features interviews with celebrated authors
- Literary Translation Centre brings together translators and publishers
- Russian Pavilion highlights Market Focus country Russia
- Comic & Graphic Novel Café showcases the best of comic books and graphic novels
- Children's Innovation Zone revolves around children’s books
- Cook Book Corner has live cookery demonstrations
London Book Fair 2011 Opening Hours
The London Book Fair takes places at London’s Earls Court exhibition centre in Halls 1 and 2; visitor entrances are from Brompton and Warwick Road. Tickets cost £25 for all three days if booked in advance and £40 at the door. The London Book Fair 2011 opening hours are:
- Monday, April 11: 9 am – 6:30 pm
- Tuesday, April 12: 9 am – 6:30 pm
- Wednesday, April 13: 9 am – 5 pm
Please note that some of the events like the How to Get Published Masterclass and the Rights Workshop start the weekend before the fair on April 9th and 10th respectively, so make sure to check the seminar and events schedule beforehand for details.
How to Get Published Masterclass at London Book Fair 2011
Probably the Fair’s most popular workshop is the How to Get Published Masterclass. It will take place on Saturday, April 9th from 11 am to 1 pm at the Olympia Conference Centre. Tickets are £40 or £35 if bought in advance, something which is recommended as the event sells out fast. Industry experts and best-selling authors will provide valuable advice on how to get that first publishing deal and how to advance one’s writing career. This year’s participants are:
- Peter James, best-selling author (Dead Like You)
- Lesley Pearse, best-selling author (Stolen)
- Luigi Bonomi, Literary Agent of the Year
- Jon Wood, Deputy Publisher, Orion Group of Publishers
- Fiona Lindsay, Chair
Market Focus Russia at LBF 2011
The Market Focus at the London Book Fair was established in 2004 to support the cultural communication between host and guest country. This year’s choice has fallen on Russia and fair visitors can look forward to many cultural events and information at the Russian Pavilion: More than 50 leading Russian publishers, authors and professional organizations will represent the Russian literary tradition and focus on digital publishing in Russia.
A tip at the end: to ease navigation through the fair’s many seminars and events, the organizers have prepared lists of events by profession, for example for authors, publishers, librarians, students and others. Simply click on what interests you and get the best of London Book Fair according to your preference. For a look at previous fairs, see LBF 2010 and 2009.
Simone Preuss - Simone is a freelance writer, editor and translator who decided to go solo after a successful career in publishing. That was more than ...
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