
13/03/2025
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE LONDON BOOK FAIR 2025
The London Book Fair (LBF) is a leading international event in the publishing industry, specialising in content rights negotiations and the distribution of books and media across formats like print, digital, audio, film, and television.
In 2024, the event attracted more than 30,000 publishing professionals from around the world. Over 10,000 exhibiting professionals are also cited in attendance by the LBF organisers.
The 2025 edition, held from March 11 to 13 at Olympia London, is anticipated to draw similar crowds, with significant international participation from the United States, Canada, Germany, India, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, Turkey, and a noteworthy presence from China, which includes author Liu Zhenyun and representatives from 19 Chinese publishers and businesses.
With the theme ‘Defining the Future of Creative Content,’ LBF25 aims to bring together the worldwide publishing community to build connections, share knowledge, and collaboratively shape the future of creative content.
Key sub-themes for the 2025 book fair include exploring artificial intelligence’s growing role in publishing, particularly regarding audiobooks, and tackling the challenge of declining literacy among younger readers.
The fair also features an expanded area dedicated to audiobooks, known as the "audio village," and a larger International Rights Centre, now accommodating approximately 550 tables, highlighting the event’s central role in rights trading.
Additionally, a dedicated three-day academic and professional publishing conference runs parallel to the main fair, addressing industry sustainability, innovative business practices, and AI's increasing impact.
Prominent industry figures, including David Shelley, CEO of Hachette, and James Daunt, CEO of Barnes & Noble and Waterstones, are among this year's notable speakers.
The selected charity of the year 2025 is The Reading Agency, the UK charity with a mission to empower everyone to read.
The next London Book Fair will take place from 10–12 March 2026 at the same location (London Olympia).