The Bookseller.com

22nd August 2008

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London Book Fair on the launchpad

10.04.08

Digitisation and the environment will be key issues at next week's London Book Fair, held for a second successive year at London's Earls Court. LBF 2007 largely did the job of erasing memories of the widely criticised fair held at ExCeL in 2006, and organiser Reed is citing healthy attendance numbers this year as a clear indication that it has won back the hearts and minds of the industry.

The number of companies exhibiting has increased to 1,665, a rise of 2.5%, while stand space sold is up 10% to 17,003 sq metres. In the International Rights Centre, 491 organisations (up 24%) have booked 571 tables.

Alistair Burtenshaw, LBF group exhibition director, said: "I'm really looking forward to welcoming everybody to Earls Court once again this year. Every year we strive to enhance our offering and I really hope that everyone gets a chance to sample our new Cookbook Corner, the English PEN Literary Café and the Market Focus feature."

If last year's London Book Fair was about rebuilding reputation, the 2008 event will focus on firmly re-establishing the fair's global stature. The fair's theme will be the Arab World, with a range of seminars and events focusing on publishing in the Middle East. The week will see the biggest gathering ever of Arab writers in the UK, including the celebrated Palestinian poet Mahmoud Darwish, and Egyptian novelist Alaa al Aswany. Three new country pavilions will also be unveiled: Russia, Romania and Turkey.

Digitisation will be the focus for a packed seminar line-up, including talks on why bookshops should go digital. High-profile speakers taking the stand include Penguin's group digital director Genevieve Shore, Pan Macmillan's head of digital publishing Sara Lloyd and Gardners sales director Bob Jackson. Green issues will also be prominent, including a talk on "What Publishing is Doing to and for the Environment", hosted by Helen Fraser, Penguin m.d.

The Bookseller is publishing a daily magazine at LBF; also available digitally at www.theBookseller.com: email releases and rights deals news should be sent to alison.flood@bookseller.co.uk.

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