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Canongate not exhibiting at London Book Fair 2026
Canongate chief executive Jamie Byng has shared that the publisher will not be exhibiting at London Book Fair (LBF) in 2026, in part due to wanting to approach the event in “a different way” as well as costs.
Instead of taking a stand at Olympia, Canongate will be hosting its meetings in the nearby Taste of Joy Cafe on Russell Gardens.
“It’s a lovely space, a very short walk from Olympia, and the owner could not be more accommodating and welcoming,” Byng said. “We’ll be serving excellent coffee, pastries and sandwiches during meetings – and next door to it is Cibo, one of my favourite Italian restaurants in London, where we will hold lunches each day.”
Byng said the decision “might seem surprising” and acknowledged that book fairs “have been enormously important for Canongate over the decades”. “[They] have enabled us to build a sizeable network, in dozens and dozens of countries, of like-minded partners from whom we learn a great deal,” he said.
“This ‘coalition of the willing’ has allowed us to further our shared desire to publish great books and reach wide and diverse audiences. And then there is the buying and selling of rights.”
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However, Byng continued: “Money was one of the factors in this decision. We are always interrogating how we spend our money and how we can get the most bang for our bucks – and the cost of taking space and building a stand at Olympia is sizeable (even if the stand isn’t!).
“We also felt like approaching this year’s fair in a different way. At Canongate, we always try and challenge ourselves to do things differently, because we know that doing things in the same ways breeds familiarity and restricts innovative thinking. We will undoubtedly learn new things next March, and have different conversations. And I feel confident that our many meetings will be that much more memorable, because they will be taking place in a space that is more convivial and conducive to conversation.”
Director of London Book Fair Emma Lowe said of Canongate’s decision: “Jenny and the team kindly let us know about their decision a while ago. Whilst I of course would infinitely prefer Canongate to be an exhibitor in ’26, I absolutely respect their approach. My rapport with the Canongate team goes back much further than one year, and we’ve already started talking about ’27 and how we incorporate this vibrant publisher into our plans.
“With over 30,000 people coming through our doors over three days, it can be difficult to accommodate everyone’s requests within the realms of what is possible at Olympia, but my inbox is always open and I like a challenge.”
Byng’s full comment on the reasons behind the decision can be read here.
