LBF: link to customers, content and emerging markets

The London Book Fair (LBF) is the global marketplace for rights negotiation and the sale and distribution of content across print, audio, TV, film and digital channels. Taking place every spring in the world’s premier publishing and cultural capital, it is a unique opportunity to explore, understand and capitalise on the innovations shaping the publishing world of the future. LBF 2014, the 43rd Fair, will take place from April 8-10, 2014 at Earls Court, London. London Book and Screen Week

For 2014, LBF launches London Book and Screen Week, with the book fair as the pivotal three day event within a five day programme. London Book and Screen Week will open with LBF’s Publishing for Digital Minds Conference on April 7, the day before LBF opens. The Week will close with a direct-to-consumer creative writing event, The London Writer’s Fair, on April 11. The London Book Fair (LBF) and Curtis Brown Creative will organise The London Writers Fair, a full day of novel-writing teaching, industry advice and networking opportunities for new writers, which takes place at Foyles, Charing Cross Road, London. The London Writers Fair has been designed to give writers the chance to take part in dedicated, top-quality creative-writing classes, and to gain advice from significant industry players on how to pitch to literary agents and publishers.

Publishing for Digital Minds

The conference, which takes place on April 7 (Monday), in association with The Publishers Association and sponsored by Copyright Clearance Center, will welcome a global audience of delegates for a day of keynote speeches, networking panel discussions and debates on the digital future of publishing.

At the conference, Baroness Martha Lane Fox, the UK Digital Champion, co-founder of lastminute.com and noted lover of literature, will appear in conversation with conference Chair Anna Rafferty at this year’s Publishing for Digital Minds Conference. As the publishing industry continues to respond to the opportunities and challenges of ecommerce, Baroness Lane Fox’s presence at the Publishing for Digital Minds Conference, will afford a great chance to hear from a pioneer of online business success on how to combine entrepreneurial flair within a wider arts and culture context. Delegates can look forward to a thought-provoking and informed session from the Baroness, whose Twitter bio describes her as: ‘Novice Baroness. Feminist. Digital by default.’

A glipse of the previous edition of the fairPublishing for Digital Minds – Evolving Paradigms, Partners and Platforms will address the theme of how to educate and inform to enrich society, while creating a new digital wealth economy, with a programme that includes discussion on how publishers can ethically raise awareness of their products and services among child audiences and an Innovation Award presented in association with IC Tomorrow.

Orna O’Brien, The London Book Fair conference manager said, “Now in its 6th year, the Publishing for Digital Minds conference attracts not only a fabulous breadth of speakers, but also a tremendously varied audience. The conference sets the tone for the creative IP industries to work with each other at this unique and exciting time in our collective development.”

Korea: Market Focus country 2014

Korea has a population of almost 50 million and 98 percent literacy rate. It has one of the top ten publishing markets in the world with a minimum retail market size of UK £2.5 billion. In 2010, over 10,500 translated titles were published in Korea, with Japan, US and UK make up 77 percent of the total translated titles. The education publishing market is worth at least £0.69 million.

The London Book Fair, in partnership with The Publishers Association (PA), and the Korean Publishers Association, are organizing the Korea Market Focus Professional Programme, which will provide an essential insight into the Korean publishing industry for international visitors and exhibitors to The London Book Fair.

Richard Mollet, the PA’s chief executive, said, “The PA is delighted to welcome Korea to The London Book Fair. The links between Korea and the UK have never been stronger, and with the emphasis placed on the importance of the publishing industry by President Park, and Incheon being elected as the UNESCO World Book Capital for 2015 the timing of this Market Focus could not be better. Korea is an increasingly important market for UK publishing with a 22 percent growth in exports over the last ten years, and this year’s London Book Fair will represent a fantastic opportunity for British and Korean publishers to develop trade as well as gaining better understanding of each countries’ business, cultural and technological environments.”

While, Eric Yang, The Korean Publishers Association, said, “I would like to say how honored we are to be a part of the Market Focus at the London Book Fair and how happy I am personally to be able to give English and European readers an insight into our vibrant Korean publishing industry. I firmly believe that the Market Focus 2014 will be a genuinely stimulating environment, where people of all nations can share their vision for a brighter publishing future united by a love of books. I am also confident that the Market Focus pavilion will be remembered fondly as a place where new ideas were sparked, new titles born and new friends made.”

There are four key Market Focus Professional Programme seminars taking place within The London Book Fair, as part of an extensive programme of meetings and networking opportunities between Korean and international publishing colleagues, including a daily Korean tea on the pavilion. The Professional Programme seminars will include An Overview of the Korean Publishing Market; Korean Technology and the Digital Publishing Scene – Who’s Reading What, and How?; The Children’s and Educational Books in Korea – Edutainment and Beyond! And Taking Korean Literature to a World Audience – Translation and Publication Grants.

According to Jacks Thomas, director of The London Book Fair, “Korea is an endlessly fascinating country – and the most wired in the world! Its publishing industry ranks in the top 10 worldwide and it is doing more business internationally than ever before. The Market Focus Professional Programme provides a unique opportunity to hear from the people shaping Korean publishing; from the biggest publishers to Korea’s leading online book retailer. The programme is a key part of the Market Focus and we encourage everyone looking to learn more about Korea and increase business with Korean publishers to come to the seminars.”

The Korean delegation will comprise 27 companies, including publishers, e-book specialists, digital pioneers and print companies.

Market Focus Korea also enjoys a rich Cultural Programme, featuring 10 contemporary writers from Korea, curated by The British Council.

Authors HQ @ LBF

Now in its third year, Author HQ’s programme has been designed to provide the knowledge, tools and insight writers need, to make informed decisions about getting their work published in a world where conventional and self-publishing opportunities offer an ever expanding number of routes to market. In addition to a seminar covering a broad spectrum of subject areas, visitors will have the opportunity to attend workshops with industry experts, as well as pitch ideas directly to literary agents via one-to-one sessions. They can also put themselves forward to take part in The Write Stuff, a Dragon’s Den-style panel event, taking place on the final afternoon of the Fair.

Each day at Author HQ will begin with an ‘Introduction to Publishing’ workshop, where four experts take the audience on a whistle-stop tour of publishing in 45 minutes, covering everything from getting an agent to selling your book in bookshops.

For authors keen for more hands-on advice, Author HQ will also offer delegates free hourly workshops covering topics from cover design, understanding publisher contracts, the do’s and don’ts of creating eBooks and Social Media for authors. These intimate workshops will accommodate a maximum of eight delegates per session and can be pre-booked via eventbrite.

Authors keen to get feedback on their work can also reserve a place in an Agent One-to-One. Booked via eventbrite, it gives writers an opportunity to talk directly to an agent from a leading agency, including United Agents, PFD and Conville & Walsh, who will provide direct feedback on their pitches and ideas.

The three days of Author HQ will culminate in The Write Stuff, a Dragon’s Den-style panel event. This will see ten authors pitch their books to a panel of four literary agents: Simon Trewin (William Morris), Charlie Campbell (Ed Victor), Lizzy Kremer (David Higham Associates) and Laura Williams (PFD). The winner will be rewarded with a follow-up meeting with the most relevant agent, along with a detailed critique of their book.

Each day at Author HQ will end with networking drinks, allowing authors to discuss the day’s learnings, talk about their writing and socialise with speakers in a relaxed, informal atmosphere.

Second International Education Conference

Building on the success of the inaugural conference last year, the International Publishers Association (IPA) and The London Book Fair (LBF) are organising the second edition of What Works? Successful Education Policies, Resources and Technologies, on April 10, 2014. This year’s line-up includes keynote addresses from Francis Gurry, director general of WIPO and Pablo Zoido of OECD.

The conference will provide an open-minded look at educational outcomes with top-level policy makers from government, international agencies and major organisations. They will debate how technology, policy and content may be most effectively applied to raise educational standards, based on current global trends and practical experience from wide-scale projects. There will be expert inputs from countries including the United States, Australia, Denmark, Germany, Korea, The Netherlands, Turkey and the UK.

José Borghino, policy director of the International Publishers Association, said, “Education publishers have always been at the cutting edge of innovation, whether technological or pedagogical. But they also need to maintain a place at the heart of the current policy debates and be acknowledged for what they are: primary stakeholders in the education process. The ‘What Works?’ conference will give pointers to where educational policy might go next. It will give participants a chance to hear and analyse the major players’ perspectives from around the world. And it will offer insights into the forces for change – political, technological, pedagogic and financial.”

While, Orna O’Brien, conference manager, The London Book Fair, added, “Many of the most exciting digital innovations are now happening in the education sector, so we are delighted to be able to provide a forum for educational publishers and policy makers to share their knowledge, opinions and experience in what should be a highly productive day.”

India and US lead the shortlists

The London Book Fair International Book Industry Excellence Awards have been announced with US and Indian publishing industries leading the shortlists with four nominations apiece, with China and Korea not far behind with three each.

The shortlisted nominees in all categories are:

• IPA Freedom to Publish Award: Irina Balakhonova (Russia), Nguyen Vu Binh (Vietnam), Ihar Lohvinau (Belarus), Myay Hmone Lwin (Myanmar), Ilbay Kahraman (Turkey), Afghan PEN Centre
• Korea Market Focus Outstanding Contribution Award: Brother Anthony of Taizé (An Sonjae); Eric Yang Agency; Barbara J Zitwer Agency
• The Bookseller International Adult Trade Publisher Award: Fixi, Malaysia; Kero, France; Silverfish, Malaysia
• The Crossmedia Award for Best Use of IP: Chronicle Books US; Penguin Australia; Robert Kirkman, Skybound (US); Rovio, Angry Birds (Finland).
• The International Academic and Professional Publisher Award: Sage (US); University of Chicago Press.
• The International Education Initiatives Award: Fatih Project Turkey; Indigenous Literacy Foundation Australia; Knowledge without Borders (UAE).
• The International Educational Learning Resources Award: Penguin Australia; HarperCollins India; Oxford University Press (Brazil).
• The International Literary Agent Award: Pierre Astier, Pierre Astier & Associates (France); Anneli Høier, Leonhardt & Høier Literary Agency (Denmark); Nicole Witt, Mertin Literary Agency (Germany).
• The International Literary Translation Initiative Award: Best Translated Book Award; Penguin India; Shanghai 99 (China)
• The International Trade Children’s and Young Adult Publisher Award: Cosac Naify (Brazil); Kalimát Publishing (Sharjah, UAE); Tara Books (India).
• The UK Publishers Association Copyright Protection Award: Bholan Boodoo, Publishers Territory Manager (Guyana); Manas Saikia, Feel Books (India); Emrah Ozpirincci, Oxford University Press (Turkey); Copyright Clearance Centre (US); Oxford University Press (Pakistan).
• The Market Focus Achievement Award: Jo Lusby, Penguin China; Nermin Mollaoglu, Kalem Literary Agency (Turkey); Motilal Books of India.
• The Publishers Weekly International Book Industry Technology Supplier Award: Datamatics (India); Publishing Technology (China).

The London Book Fair Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented to Deborah Rogers of Rogers, Coleridge and White.

The London Book Fair International Book Industry Excellence Awards will be an invite-only evening event, and will take place on April 8, the first day of LBF 2014.

Gaming Pavilion

The new pavilion, supported by UK Interactive Entertainment (Ukie), the UK’s premier trade body representing the gaming industry, is designed to connect the creative and commercial talents of gaming developers, publishers and distributors with their publishing counterparts. The initiative is one of several new areas (TV & Film, Brand Licensing and Comics) that capitalise on the continued convergence between aligned creative industries to exploit IP across a multiplicity of platforms.

Exhibitors within the Gaming sector will be invited to matchmaking sessions in the Ukie lounge with publishers, organised by LBF’s rights relationship manager. In addition, a dedicated seminar stream will inform and entertain, as leaders and innovators from the gaming and publishing industries talk about what makes for successful cross-industry collaboration and commerce.