Literary Festivals Around the World

Literary fans and book worms have a lot to look forward to in the upcoming months.

As the snow begins to thaw and the warmer weather moves in, we move into prime Book Fair/Literary Festival season. Here are a few upcoming events to hold you over until they hit full swing.

The London Book Fair: London, England. April 12-16, 2016.

Billed as “A World Event in a World City,” the London Book Fair is the global marketplace for rights negotiation and the sale and distribution of content to professional marketplaces. Celebrating its 45 anniversary, the annual fair hosts more than 25,000 publishing professionals for an entire week in London. During this week authors, poets and academics meet with publishing professionals to negotiate deals, sell their latest manuscripts, and network with top publishing houses. Check out the official webpage at londonbookfair.co.uk to see all of the events, conference, readings and attendance information.

BookExpo America: Chicago, Illinois. May 11-13, 2016.

Known as the largest publishing event in North American, BookExpo America (BEA) is the number one book and author event in the United States. It is a great place for book industry professionals to discover new talent, for aspiring writers to meet their favorite authors, and to learn about new trends in publishing while networking with like-minded individuals. Authors who will be appearing at the conference this year include: Jamie Lee Curtis, Louise Penny, and Sebastian Junger. Your BEA Show Badge provides full access to the Autographing area at the conference. This is free and allows you to meet authors face-to-face. Pricing information for the Expo, as well as hotel suggestions can be found online at bookexpoamerica.com.

Antiquarian Book Fair: Washington, D.C. March 4-5, 2016.

For something a little different, check out the 41st Annual Washington Antiquarian Book Fair. This fair is for both serious and novice collectors. Fans of the written word can find manuscripts, modern first editions, author’s autographs, and rare prints. At the event book lovers can touch, see, and evaluate the product that exhibitors have to offer. With so many attendees it is almost guaranteed that you will find something within your desired genre and price range. Ticket prices and a listing of exhibitors for this year’s Fair can be found online at wabf.com.