thebookseller.com 16 THURSDAY 04.2015 NEWS Fair clash could hit 2016 numbers BY CHARLOTTE EYRE & TOM TIVNAN
Publishers, authors and agents have said children’s book trade personnel may have to choose between the London Book Fair (LBF) and the Bologna Children’s Book Fair (BCBF) next year, given their proximity of their dates. BCBF 2016 is taking place on 4th–7th April; LBF is scheduled to start just five days later (12th–14th April). Barry Cunningham, m.d. of Chicken House, said the clash of dates was “terrible” and that publishers may have to pick one or the other. Meanwhile, literary scout John McLay said children’s publishers were more likely to go to Bologna. “Children’s publishers from Europe will always favour Bologna (if they can only attend one fair), so I would anticipate the number of international visitors from the children’s sector will be a bit down at LBF in 2016,” he said. Vineeta Gupta, head of children’s
dictionaries at OUP, said that while LBF has become more important for kids’ publishers in recent years, “Bologna is still the world’s specialist children’s fair . . . and I can’t see that changing.”
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WORDSMITH Author Jeff Norton added: “There
is a drought from October to late March and then all of a sudden it’s Bologna, LBF and [Cannes screen festival] MIPTV in the span of a week or so. It makes for a crowded market season, forcing writers and producers to pick and choose instead of covering all three.” BCBF has been brought forward in 2016 because of the early Easter period (25th–28th March) and so as not to clash with Cosmoprof Bologna (17th–21st March), the world’s biggest cosmetics fair. One alternative—moving BCBF to the week preceding Easter (21st–26th March)—was seen as “unworkable”, according to an insider from the children’s fair. BCBF owner BolognaFiere would not comment
LBF chief: we are listening EXCLUSIVE NEWS
LBF director Jacks Thomas has conceded that there have been difficulties with this year’s fair, but stressed that the overall reaction to the move to Olympia was “broadly positive”. She said it had been like “moving house and city, and having to learn a new way to navigate the streets”, and added that she wanted to hear exhibitors’ views: “We want to hear from anyone who can give us really good feedback, particularly nitty-gritty stuff: different ways of hall numbering, signage, everything. We can’t rebuild the venue, but we are definitely listening.” Thomas acknowledged some attendees’ transport concerns, but said
on its 2016 event, but The Bookseller understands that BCBF’s organisers are currently in discussions with “all the major children’s publishers” and will soon be working with small and medium-sized enterprises to discuss solutions that will enable exhibitors to attend both fairs. LBF director Jacks Thomas said
her company would do “whatever it can” to help publishers with logistics. “I should note that we did announce our dates for 2016 more than a year ago. With a venue like Olympia, which operates around 350 days a year, you have to plan ahead,” she said. “But it is not LBF’s plan to ‘get’ Bologna. Book fairs feed on each other: having a healthy Bologna and a healthy Frankfurt is good for LBF— it is in all of our interests.”
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LBF was trying to educate fair-goers about other transport options that were within walking distance. “We were very clear during the consultation [when switching venues] that Transport for London was not going to add to the current Overground service.” Thomas also said LBF would tackle some children’s publishers’ concerns about the lack of footfall in their dedicated area (in West Hall Upper), by adding events and more signage, and running a social media campaign. LBF will not release visitor and exhibitor numbers until after the fair, but Thomas (pictured) said she was “very pleased” with the
attendance. She added: “That doesn’t mean we’re complacent. We want to keep improving the experience.”
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