Asteria Press Launch at London Book Fair 2023

The London Book Fair is the second largest publishing trade fair in the world. Individuals across the book industry meet at the Olympia venue in Kensington each April for a three day conference where books are sold and distributed across audio, print, TV and digital channels. Today, the London Book Fair attracts both the big players in the industry as well as aspiring writers and freelancers, bringing in a total of 25,000 visitors per year. But where did this all start?

The Main Hall in the Olympia Venue

History of LBF

The London Book Fair began as an annual exhibition for publishers to display their work to librarians in 1971. It was then known as The Specialist Publishers Exhibition for Librarians, and 22 exhibitors took part. Six years later, the event was renamed The London Book Fair.

Over the years, the London Book Fair grew in size and influence. Today it is recognised as the second most important conference in the publishing world, after the Frankfurt Book Fair. It has been held at the Olympia venue in Kensington for most of its history, with brief (and unpopular) sojourns to the London Docklands and Earl’s Court Exhibition Centre in the early 2000s.

Key Facts:

1. The London Book Fair was founded in 1971. This year’s 2023 London Book Fair marks the 52nd anniversary of the fair’s inauguration.

2. Today, the London Book Fair brings in publishers, agents and printing companies from 100 countries around the world.

3. Approximately 25,000 visitors attend the London Book Fair each year.

4. The London Book Fair’s primary purpose is for publishers to meet with other agents in the industry to negotiate the sale and distribution of rights.

5. The London Book Fair acts as a hub for the book trade, enabling in-person meetings between individuals within the publishing, agenting and creative worlds. A key aspect of its success has been the flourishing of networks and communities within the book trade.

6. The London Book Fair also acts as a centre for learning from industry leaders. Seminars take place across different stages across all three days. Each year there is a different topic that remains a focus on the Main Stage. The topic for 2023 was Sustainability and the Book Trade.

7. The London Book Fair also nominates several outstanding contributors to the book trade for different awards. These include the Trailblazers Awards to celebrate emerging talent in publishing as well as awards for authors and illustrators.

Holly (left) and Aimee (right) at the London Book Fair

Asteria Press at LBF 2023:

The London Book Fair 2023 marked a special moment for Asteria Press as we took this opportunity to launch our new independent fantasy press into the publishing world. From meetings with established publishers, to handing out our bookmarks to authors who might be interested in submitting manuscripts, the London Book Fair was the perfect launch pad to get our name out there into the publishing world.

Besides meeting old friends and new acquaintances, we also used the opportunity to attend several seminars by leading industry experts in the publishing field. Some interesting topics included ‘Indie Publishing: The Creative Heart of the Industry’ and ‘Prices of Publishing: The Impact of the Cost of Living Crisis’. However, there were fewer chairs than people, so we did have to get used to sitting on the floor quite often!

One highlight of the London Book Fair was attending the Independent Publishers Guild evening drinks, where we met some other independent publishers in the industry. It was inspiring meeting others who were further down the road from us, and learning from their experience.

Most of all, however, it was a pleasure to soak in an atmosphere created by a community focused on the importance of storytelling. One thing is for sure, the London Book Fair encapsulates the hopeful resilience of the publishing industry and its central belief that stories matter deeply to who we are and who we become.