Meetings and rights trading on exhibition-floor stands at the 2024 London Book Fair. Image: Publishing Perspectives, Porter Anderson
By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson
See also:
London Book Fair: Daunt and Shelley Headline Keynotes
London Book Fair Announces a Three-Day Academic Conference
London Book Fair 2025 Announces Its Quartet of ‘Authors of the Day’
Seminar Program Highlights
In an earlier report, you’ll remember, we looked at keynote programming being developed for the Main Stage at the 2025 London Book Fair (March 11 to 13).
Today (February 5), we have a chance to look at some highlights of the Seminar Program, which of course is the trade show’s series on events and people influential in the 2025 season’s international and United Kingdom book publishing industry.
March 11
11:15 a.m. to 12 p.m., Main Stage
Faster, Higher, Stronger? The UK & International Book Markets in 2024
This Nielsen BookData talk will an overview of consumer book buying in 2024. Did the year continue to experience international book market values on rising prices? Which categories show volume growth? In which format are readers consuming books and what trends are seen for children’s book buying?
Speaker: Steve Bohme, research director, Nielsen BookData
1:45 to 2:30 p.m., Main Stage
The Future of Book Licensing and Distribution
Mark Searle, left, and José Manuel Anta
Licensing strategies can play a crucial role in the financial success of publishing ventures, and in the digital age, licensing and distribution have transformed, allowing for more seamless and widespread access to content. But challenges persist, as do opportunities, amid evolving consumer preferences and tech advances. By effectively navigating these changes, publishers can maximize their financial outcomes and remain competitive.
Speakers: Mark Searle, managing director of DK, and José Manuel Anta, managing director of Spain’s Federation of Publishers’ Guilds, with moderation by Publishing Perspectives
3 to 3:45 p.m., Main Stage
AI and Copyright: Policy Developments in the United Kingdom and United States
Maria A. Pallante and Dan Conway
AI is here to stay and so are the policy debates that will shape its development and deployment for years to come. In particular, many publishers around the world are watching developments in the UK and US, where regulators, legislators, and courts are weighing legal disputes that could have global ramifications for copyright laws: A British, American, and decidedly human discussion on the most important issue of the day.
Speakers: Maria Pallante, president and CEO, Association of American Publishers, and Dan Conway, CEO, the Publishers Association, with moderation by Publishing Perspectives
3:15 to 3: 45 p.m., Tech Theatre
Digital Accessibility: Are You Ready for June 28?
Achim Bosse Chitty and Stacy Scott
With key accessibility standards needing to be met by June 28 to satisfy the European Accessibility Act (EAA), this panel discusses the high-priority steps you need to take: what needs to be done and how to get it done. In addition, how publishers are making the best use of artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance their transition to accessibility.
Speakers: Jessica Stock, director, Sunrise Setting Ltd; Achim Bosse Chitty, head of production at Bloomsbury; and Stacy Scott, head of accessibility with Taylor & Francis, James Yanchek moderating
March 12
3 to 3:45 p.m., Main Stage
From Book to Screen: Transforming a Best-selling Book into a Hit TV Series
Author Lucy Clarke discusses the adaptation of her novel, The Castaways, into a series for Paramount+. Lucy will be joined by the executive producer, screenwriter Ben Harris, and her agent. The focus here is on creative and logistical challenges, and the question what makes a book ripe for adaptation?
Speakers: Writer Lucy Clarke; screenwriter Ben Harris; literary agent Judith Murray, Greene & Heaton; creative director Mike Benson, Chalkboard Productions, Fee Mak moderating
March 13
1o:15 to 10:45 a.m., Main Stage
Cultivating the Next Generation of Readers
A session on shaping the future of reading through diversity and inclusion, exploring themes including the evolving landscape of readers, the importance of diverse representation, and the joy of reading for pleasure.
Speakers: Writers Will Rayfet Hunter and Taylor-Dior Rumble, BookBrunch’s Natasha Poliszczuk moderating
11:15 a.m. to 12 p.m., Main Stage
Turning the Page: Publishing’s Role in Keeping the Focus on Sustainability
Gvantsa Jobava and Mary Glenn
While the industry has embraced a wide range of initiatives such as expanding the list of titles that explore sustainability, engaging new voices and audiences, promoting diversity, advancing accessible publishing, supporting literacy, and adopting greener production methods, it can be difficult to gauge the true impact of these efforts. This session explores the challenges of staying committed to sustainability in all aspects from acquisitions and marketing to distribution, measuring progress effectively, and making tangible strides on complex global issues—while showcasing what publishers have already accomplished and what more can be done.
Speakers: Gvantsa Jobava, president, International Publishers Association; Mary Glenn, chief of United Nations Publications, United Nations, with moderation by Publishing Perspectives
1.45 to 2:30 p.m., Main Stage
Main Stage
In the United Kingdom, according to the Reading Agency, one in six people reportedly do not read well because of barriers relating to functional skills and confidence, having English as second language, or poor experiences at school. The charity’s Quick Reads program tackles these challenges with short but engaging content from well-known authors, specially adapted to be accessible for less confident readers and covering a range of genres.
Speaker: Carina Spaulding, head of research and evaluation at the Reading Agency, with moderation by the program’s creative director, Debbie Hicks
More coverage of the upcoming London Book Fair follows here at Publishing Perspectives.
More from Publishing Perspectives on London Book Fair is here, more on book fairs and trade shows in the world publishing industry is here, and more on the United Kingdom’s publishing market is here.
Publishing Perspectives is the International Publishers Association’s world media partner.
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