Three days at ExCeL where world publishing does its spring business: rights, translations and deals that decide what gets published in English.
Source: londonbookfair.co.uk, checked on 14 September 2026.
Updated: September 2026
Together with Frankfurt, The London Book Fair is the axis of the international rights calendar. Agents and editors spend the days in back-to-back meetings, while the seminar programme covers everything from audio to AI and the trade’s own anxieties.
It is a trade fair: tickets are aimed at publishing professionals rather than readers, and there is no retail bookselling on the floor.
Log what you buy, your progress and the quotes you underline. Free, no account needed to start.
Start for freeAgents’ tables fill long before the fair. Nothing useful happens by turning up and hoping.
ExCeL is far east: the DLR from Canning Town is faster than any taxi at rush hour.
Even with a basic pass the programme is the best value of the three days.
The London Book Fair 2027 runs 16–18 Mar 2027 at ExCeL London, London.
At ExCeL London, London.
No, it is ticketed: check prices and sales on the official website.
It is aimed at the trade. Check ticket types and conditions on the official website.