The Southern Independent Booksellers Association and New Atlantic Booksellers Association have reinvented New Voices New Rooms, the joint virtual conference the organizations developed two years ago. In a departure from fall regional bookseller shows, NVNR will hold two virtual events, in the spring and summer, which organizers say works better for booksellers’ buying schedules and doesn’t conflict with other events. The May 17-18 conference will focus on author events, and the August 8-11 conference will look similar to the past NVNR with “education, bookseller retreats, author presentations, new and upcoming titles, and publisher studios.” After pausing to reassess its plans, […]
Book Fairs
AWP Reassessing In-Person Conference
The Association of Writers & Writing Programs is reconsidering its in-person conference and book fair, currently scheduled for March 23-26 in Philadelphia, due to rising Covid cases. While no decision has been made about canceling, the organization is working with its hotel partners and the city of Philadelphia to determine next steps, and the link to register for the event has been disabled. AWP had planned for a simultaneous virtual version of the conference, with some in-person events livestreamed and some prerecorded virtual events. In December, AWP updated its safety policy, stating that all attendees must be vaccinated, per Philadelphia’s […]
London, Bologna Children’s Book Fairs Still Plan In Person Events
We have seen this episode before — twice. As the most contagious variant of Covid-19 to date has yet to peak, and as most companies still have no formal plans to bring all employees back to the office, you are being encouraged to plan on international book fairs. Organizers of both the Bologna Children’s Book Fair and the London Book Fair and are saying, for now, that the events will be in person and are encouraging registration. In 2021, both fairs first rescheduled their in-person events, before going fully virtual. In 2020, both fairs resisted cancelling until customers made the […]
The Next London Book Fair Issue: Less Space
After being disappointed during the pandemic with stingy, conditional refunds and late cancellation decisions, London Book Fair customers face another issue for 2022: Limited space. Due to construction at the Olympia exhibition center, along with pandemic precautions, there will be less about 20 percent less space available for exhibitors — and similar constraints for rights tables. The rights center will be relocated for the year to the ground floor, with space for only “425 tables compared to just over 500 in 2019.” And “the majority of these tables have been allocated to those who rolled over their investment from 2020.” […]
Shanghai Children’s Book Fair Is Postponed
The Shanghai International Children’s Book Fair (CCBF), scheduled for November 19 to 21, has been postponed due to the resurgence of COVID-19. The new planned dates — March 20 to March 22 — coincide with the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, currently set for March 21 to 24. Shanghai organizers write that: “For the first time, the two major professional children’s book fairs will connect East and West through innovative real-time events. By mobilizing their wide array of resources, the two fairs will organize joint activities in copyright trade, book promotion and illustration so that participants at both ends of the […]
Frankfurt Counts Victory
The Frankfurt Book Fair successfully staged a live event, which is a victory in and of itself in this Covid era. Whatever the unstated expectations might have been, organizers were quick to declare they had exceeded them. President and ceo Juergen Boos says in the press release, “After 18 months, Frankfurter Buchmesse represented a new start and, considering the travel restrictions in place around the world, it far exceeded our expectations. It just shows how resilient and creative our industry is.” By the numbers, the show was far smaller than usual, and smaller than the regulations would have allowed. This […]