“London Book Fair will be back next year in March for the show’s fiftieth anniversary.”
Catching up with PW's Andrew Albanese
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For nearly a week, Reed Exhibitions, the organizers of London Book Fair, insisted the show would go despite growing fears over the spread of the coronavirus known as COVID-19.
On Wednesday, though, the London Book Fair was cancelled, joining a growing list of conferences around the world to watch the curtain fall.
“It is understandable, it was totally predictable and even expected, and it is disappointing,” notes Andrew Albanese, Publishers Weekly senior writer.
“On Monday, the UK government issued a report on combating the virus that did not mention shutting down large international gatherings. So, LBF organizers made the decision to carry on. And that generated a massive backlash,” Albanese tells CCC’s Chris Kenneally.
“In fairness, London organizers were following UK government guidelines and working with the rolling advice from the public health authorities,” he says. “By Tuesday, though, all the big Five publishers had backed out, including major U.K. divisions of the large international publishers who decided not to send local staff to the fair.
“London Book Fair will be back next year in March, when it will be the show’s fiftieth anniversary,” Albanese adds.
Every Friday, CCC’s “Beyond the Book” speaks with the editors and reporters of “Publishers Weekly” for an early look at the news that publishers, editors, authors, agents and librarians will be talking about when they return to work on Monday.
