Kayleigh’s London Book Fair Experience
The annual three-day London Book Fair was held this month, from March 11th until March 15th. Gathering thousands of publishers, literary agents, editors, readers, and students, the fair offered attendees the opportunity to discover new titles, engage in book panels, and create new connections. The MS in Publishing program from Pace University was present at this event, sending three attendees: Professor Manuela Soares, and graduate students Kayleigh Woltal and Hailey Hovey.
We’ve asked Kayleigh about her experience at the London Book Fair, as well as her expectations and duties. Following is an interview:
- What were your initial expectations before attending the London Book Fair, and how did the experience compare to those expectations?
To be completely honest, I really didn’t know what to expect before attending the fair. I knew I would be helping out to keep queues in order and roaming around Olympia flagging anything out of order in our volunteers group chat, but I was so nervous that I didn’t let myself think about much else!
The experience was far better than I could have imagined, though, and the nerves I was feeling seemed silly once I really got into the swing of things. While I did sometimes help manage queues and flag when an exhibitor or theater needed something, the experience really was so much more than that. I helped staff with the crowds in the theaters between each session that I actually got to listen to, roamed the fair and saw all of the exhibitors and booths, met new publishing professionals and other masters in publishing students from around the world, and got to see behind-the-scenes of the fair setup including the international rights center which was off-limits to any guest without a pre-scheduled meeting.
I got so much more out of working in the London Book Fair than I thought I would, met more people than I could have imagined, and was less nervous and more in my element than I thought I ever could be while in a different country!
- What were some of the highlights or most memorable moments from your time at the fair?
There were so many panels at the fair and every single one that I got to see was so interesting! There seemed to be an entire day dedicated to sessions on audiobooks, and that day, I learned that in the US, audiobook sales are growing faster than eBook sales from the panel “Understanding the US Book Marketplace” hosted by Circana Bookscan. Other volunteers got to sit in on sessions hosted by professionals at Spotify to hear about how the music-streaming platform is changing the audiobook world.
There were also a lot of sessions involving diversity in publishing which I think were my favorite panels. It’s no secret that diversity is a bit of a difficult subject in the US right now, and I spoke to some of the volunteers from Oxford Brookes about this, as they knew about the changes in the States’ current administration but aren’t living so close to it. I attended panels that spoke about how publishers can cultivate diverse readers, how the publishing industry can create more accessible books for those with both physical and learning disabilities such as dyslexia and limited mobility, and panels about how books in the UK are sometimes published particularly to get people who struggle to read more comfortable with books. I learned about The Reading Agency, a UK-charity that works with organizations like prisons and libraries to bring more accessible and easy-to-read books to the community through an initiative called QuickReads. All of this was so refreshing to hear, as I worry about the future of this type of publishing in the US in the current political climate. It was great to hear that other countries around the world are still dedicated to expanding diverse and accessible publishing initiatives.
Kayleigh and Hailey at the London Book Fair
I also cannot answer this question without mentioning how entertaining it was to see everyone’s reactions to Hailey and me. We worked together for most of the fair, and every time the staff at each theater asked what our names were, their faces lit up when they heard “Hailey and Kayleigh.” It was very fun to see that everyone appreciates a good rhyme. It was also funny when one staff member forgot which of us was which and told me, “One volunteer is at main stage right now. It’s either Hailey or Kayleigh, I can’t be sure” and I had to tell her that since I was Kayleigh, it had to be Hailey. It turned such a mundane thing of saying our names into a little joke which was so silly.
- How do you see the knowledge gained from attending the fair influencing your future career in publishing?
Not only did I learn a lot from the various panels I got to sit in on, but I gained a lot of transferable skills from volunteering at the fair. LBF forces you to adapt quickly. We had to go from being lost, ourselves, to being the ones to help attendees find their way around in the span of about two hours. Each theater in Olympia also had their own rules and systems to learn, so working on the main stage was nothing like working Author HQ, for example. You might get called to one or the other without a moment’s notice, so the fair taught me how to adapt to new situations and constantly switch my habits to meet the needs of each theater or panel I was working with.
I also sat in on some panels I was particularly interested in like Spotlight On: Dyslexia, a session that explored the ways in which print books can be created to be more accessible to dyslexics. This included conversations about both children’s and adult books and delved into what authors, publishers, and readers can do to make accessible books more of a norm in the industry. This panel went beyond the writing and editorial process of books for dyslexics. Panelists discussed the design and production of the books which is definitely something I will take with me into my design career in publishing.
- What were some of the most surprising and unexpected aspects of the trip for you?
I didn’t know who else would be volunteering at the fair from other schools before we arrived, so I didn’t know what to expect when it came to talking to other volunteers. I knew there would be a few students from NYU, but I didn’t know much beyond that. I wasn’t expecting to have so much time to speak to and bond with other student volunteers from other master’s in publishing programs!
We got to speak to the NYU students a bit about the differences and similarities between our programs, but we also learned a lot about how international publishing programs run from the many Oxford Brookes student volunteers. Many of these students were from countries all around Europe, not just the UK, so we learned a lot about different schooling systems and cultures. We spoke to a few students about their dissertation topics and got to share a bit about our theses with them. It was amazing to see that even though we are separated by a whole ocean and have different cultures, we all had similar interests when it came to publishing. It was like our own universal language! I got to meet students who wanted to go into academic publishing, literary agencies, and trade publishing in all kinds of roles like editorial, marketing, and publicity. We shared LinkedIn profiles and other social media accounts with the volunteers we spent multiple days working with, and I am so excited to see where we all end up in the industry. I’m so glad to be able to stay in touch after the fair!
- Did you have any free time to explore London or immerse yourself in the culture outside of the fair?
We flew into London on a red eye the day before the fair started, and we had a tour of the space scheduled for the afternoon, so we took that morning to hit as many bookstores as possible and fight jet lag. Each day after the fair, we went out for at least a couple of hours to go to bookstores we hadn’t seen yet, pubs, and tourist spots. We had a lot of fun browsing different shops, tasting a lot of British cider, and getting some photos in front of Big Ben. We were also able to stroll around the Kensington area, get a cup of coffee, and visit one last Waterstones the morning before we left which was lovely.
- What advice would you give to future students attending international book fairs for the first time?
I would urge future volunteers to feel confident in their abilities and knowledge of publishing. I went into the fair feeling nervous. I was in a new country and knew that I was about to get thrown into a new situation with little guidance, but once I started, I quickly realized that I worried for nothing. As soon as panels began, I realized that the London Book Fair is really just a lot of people interested in the same thing as you, and I’m sure other international fairs are the same! Everyone there just wants to immerse themselves in the publishing industry. We’re all interested in the same panels, we all understand the same publishing language (I’m looking at you, metadata and BISAC codes), and there are publishing professionals of all ages to speak to.
Volunteering at an international book fair is a great learning opportunity, especially since volunteers can often attend sessions where the room is already at capacity. Offer to pass around a roaming mic during Q&As and you’ll get to listen to amazing panels led by professionals with impressive credentials and even sometimes bestselling authors! I got to listen to a packed session with Beth O’Leary (The Flatshare) as one of the speakers and will never forget that.
- What was the most interesting place you visited in London?
I feel like this is going to be a bit of a cheesy answer, but I really do think that the most interesting place I went to in London was the fair. I saw a lot of bookstores that were of course fun, and I went to see Big Ben and other tourist attractions in the area, but ultimately, this trip was all about working the fair. I think Hailey and I worked so much each day and soaked in as much of the publishing frenzy as we could that we had more relaxed nights, making the most fascinating part of the trip the buzz of the fair, itself. Sorry if that’s a disappointing answer to anyone, but I am a publishing nerd!
- Did you buy any books? What influenced your decision to purchase?
Yes, I bought two trilogies and one memoir, so seven books total! I think that’s six more than I expected to buy.
I bought A Bookshop of One’s Own by Jane Cholmeley while in Daunt Books in Marylebone along with a mini Daunt tote bag to keep it in. I was browsing the books out on display tables, and it was on one advertising books about London. I’m not usually a nonfiction reader, but I read the back copy and saw that it was about the creation of a feminist bookshop in London. That spoke to a few of my interests at once with a bonus of being a London-specific souvenir, so I didn’t think twice about purchasing.
I also found gorgeous deluxe editions of The Hunger Games trilogy. They have sprayed and stenciled edges and beautiful covers. Even though I actually can buy them online as a pack in the US, I wanted to be able to pick out ones with the most evenly sprayed edges, and I wanted the smaller trim size that is typical of UK paperbacks. I also bought the Once Upon a Broken Heart trilogy by Stephanie Garber. I believe the US still only has this trilogy available in hardcover, and I prefer paperbacks. I also find the UK covers of these books to be far more beautiful than the US editions. As an aspiring cover designer, I can be a bit of a cover art snob and am always on the lookout for really pretty books. I bought all six of these books at the Foyles flagship store at Charing Cross.