You are viewing your 1 free article this month. Login to read more articles.
The UK's National Air Traffic Services has again extended the ban on flights coming to England until 1pm tomorrow (17th April), with some respite for those flying to Scotland or Northern Ireland. But the further disruption means an increasing likelihood of significant absences at next week's London Book Fair, though the organisers continue to put a brave face on the situation.
The latest NATS update does offer further chinks of light, indicating that there could be a window for flights into the north of England from 4am tomorrow (until 10am), but it added that it was "likely that restrictions will be reintroduced" as the Icelandic ash cloud drifts across the UK.
At 4pm today, the London Book Fair said that there were no major speaker absences for the general seminars, and that it hoped to replace any who might be absent. In addition, it has said that those attending weekend events can nominate someone to replace them if they cannot make it. It added that Monday’s speakers for its Digital Seminar Stream were willing to rerun their sessions on Tuesday should there be any space due to speaker absence on Tuesday. The London Book Fair will be providing a business card/enquiry form box on affected stands. It will be accompanied by a 'Sorry we're currently unable to man our stand' stand sign.
Earlier in the day Penguin cancelled a planned digital breakfast scheduled for Tuesday, while schedules for those authors hoping to attend as part of the South African Market Focus are having to be rewritten. But the vast majority of those potential international attendees spoken to by The Bookseller over the course of Friday said they had not yet given up hope of attending.
US publishers spoken to said they remained "hopeful" that staff would be able to board flights over the weekend. Stuart Applebaum, Random House US spokesman, said: "We're trying everything we reasonably can to get our international prospective attendees there."
Fair director Alistair Burtenshaw said: "I want to thank everyone for their calls of support and determination to get to the fair and to reiterate that we will be in continual communication over the coming days."
Simon Juden, chief executive of the UK Publishers Association, spoke for many as the implications for the fair became apparent: "On behalf of the whole industry I’d like to express my warm and deep appreciation for the work Alistair Burtenshaw and his wonderful team have done in the face of the travel disruption. London Book Fair is a pivotal event in the publishing calendar, and the work that has been done to ensure that The Show Goes On has been exemplary. I hope they are very proud of what they’ve achieved – they should be."
Further updates will be posted over the weekend. If you are unable to attend and would like to convey a message to colleagues then feel free to leave a comment below, or email philip.jones@bookseller.co.uk. Key messages will be published online and also in The Bookseller Dailies, published throughout the fair.