Industry leaders, bestselling authors and audio innovators take to the stage as the global publishing community gather for day one of the Fair

Press photos available to download here 

LONDON, 10 March 2025: The London Book Fair, the largest spring gathering of the international books industry, saw publishing professionals from all over the globe descend on Olympia today for the first day of programming. Thousands of exhibitors and visitors gathered to make deals, share knowledge and experiences, make new connections, and learn about new and pressing matters within the book industry today.

Emma Lowe, Director of The London Book Fair, said: “I couldn’t have asked for more today. It’s been so brilliant to see such a vibrant community of publishers, authors and industry professionals coming together for day one of The London Book Fair. From brilliant conversations with Penguin Random House CEO Tom Weldon and Heartstopper creator Alice Oseman, to celebrations marking the National Year of Reading, talks focusing on the continued rise of audiobooks with Ray Porter and Audible CEO Bob Carrigan, and vital discussions around the role of AI in publishing, it’s been a really exciting start to the Fair. We’re looking forward to welcoming everyone back for two more days of ideas, conversations and celebrations of the world of books.”

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Clockwise from Top Left to Bottom Right:

Alice Oseman, Creative of the Fair; London Book Fair at Olympia; Peppa Pig and George Pig; Ray Porter, Narrator of the Fair

Highlights from Day One of The London Book Fair (Tues 10 March): 

A keynote interview with Tom Weldon, Chief Executive Officer of Penguin Random House UK, opened the day on the Main Stage. In conversation with The Bookseller’s Philip Jones about the future of publishing, Weldon discussed the opportunities facing the industry in the coming years, the importance of nurturing new readers, and how publishers can build a stronger pipeline of audiences during The National Year of Reading. 

Suzy Warnock, the Senior Insight Manager at NielsenIQ BookData, presented UK and International Book Market Sales and Trends, offering an overview of consumer purchasing behaviour across the global book market. Drawing on BookScan sales tracking and international data, the talk highlighted bestselling authors, emerging genres and the broader trends shaping fiction, non-fiction and children’s publishing across multiple territories.

Alice Oseman, bestselling author, illustrator and creator of the globally acclaimed Heartstopper series, appeared as Creative of the Fair in a conversation on the Main Stage chaired by Rachel Wade of Hachette Children’s Group. Oseman discussed their journey from signing a first publishing deal at just 17 to becoming an award-winning author and screenwriter – reflecting on the cultural impact of Heartstopper and the evolving relationship between publishing, television and young readers, before being presented with the YA Book Prize Special Achievement award from Caroline Carpenter at The Bookseller.

Award-winning audiobook narrator Ray Porter, who was this year’s Narrator of the Fair, delivered a session focused on the power of audio storytelling. After some engaging live readings, Porter shared insights into how narration shapes the listener’s experience, discussing performance, immersion and the growing influence of audiobooks within the wider publishing ecosystem. Ray also closed out the Fair, narrating the closing announcement in his signature style that rang around the Olympia building.

Over on Author HQ, Rachel Duffy, the winner of 2026’s edition of BBC’s The Traitors made a surprise appearance at Author HQ in support of Amanda Harris, Founder and Literary Agent, Maven Literary Management and Stephen Dumughn, Director, Midas Group, who spoke all about holding your space as an author.

Bob Carrigan, Chief Executive Officer of Audible, took to the Main Stage to discuss the evolution of the audiobook industry as Audible celebrates 20 years in the UK. In conversation about the future of audio publishing, Carrigan explored how audiobooks are engaging new audiences, the technological innovation shaping the sector and the opportunities available to authors and publishers as audio continues to grow as a storytelling medium.

On Author HQ, a panel of bestselling writers discussed the craft of storytelling in the session How I Write. Dorothy Koomson, A. A. Dhand, and T. L. Swan unpacked their creative sparks, the setbacks, and the secret alchemy behind their most celebrated works, exploring how ideas develop into finished books, the routines that shape their writing lives and the different approaches that underpin successful storytelling across genres.

The Carnegie Medal for Writing shortlist was unveiled, celebrating authors and illustrators for children and young people, Patrick Ness, Rob Harrell, Kengo Kurimoto, Aim?e de Jongh, Beth O’Brien, Katya Balen, Clara Duckenberg, Seng Soun Ratanavanh, Linh Dao,  Baljinder Kaur, William Hussey, J.P. Rose, Oboh Moses, Jason Reynolds, Tia Fisher, and Kate Rolfe – with the winners set to be announced on 23 June.

There was also an on-site activation, organised by Ed Newton-Rex, that saw the launch of Don’t Steal This Book, where around 10,000 authors including Kazuo Ishiguro, Philippa Gregory and Richard Osman have published an “empty” book to protest against AI firms using their work without permission. Copies of the work were being distributed to attenders to the Fair all day, a week before the UK government is due to issue an assessment on the economic cost of proposed changes in copyright law.

Spirits were high as the industry celebrated at the National Year of Reading drinks, with a presentation given by Baroness Gail Rebuck and Director of the National Year of Reading, David Hayman, who helped mark the monumental year of the Fair.

Apply for your media pass now to join the global publishing community at The London Book Fair 2026 in London (10-12 March 2026). To apply for a media pass, please click here.

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For further information, please contact Tom Neilson and Madison Sotos at Midas:

tom.neilson@midas-group.com / madison.sotos@midas-group.com / +44 (0)20 7361 7860

Notes to editors: 

About The London Book Fair (LBF)

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. The London Book Fair is a unique opportunity to explore, understand and capitalise on the innovations shaping the publishing world of the future. LBF brings you direct access to customers, content and emerging markets. The London Book Fair 2026 will take place 10-12 March 2026 at Olympia London. Find out more at www.londonbookfair.co.uk

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