About The London Book Fair
For more than 50 years, The London Book Fair has been a key event in international publishing. It began at the Berners Hotel in Westminster and has grown into a global marketplace for rights and content, organised by RX and held every spring in London.
Its business centre is the International Rights Centre, a closed-access space for pre-arranged meetings between agents, scouts and rights teams. Access depends on confirmed bookings, and the fair does not arrange meetings itself, so exhibitors and visitors arrive with diaries already full. Around it sits an exhibition of publishers of every size, from global groups to independents, together with literary agencies, distributors, printers, audio and technology providers, and international pavilions.
The fair is a trade event. Its audience includes publishers, agents, commissioning editors, licensing professionals, booksellers, librarians and authors. A large content programme runs across several stages, including the Writers' Summit, the Academic and Professional Publishing Conference, Author HQ and the Audio Village, which gives exhibitors chances to be seen beyond their own stands.
Spring is an important point in the rights calendar, and London offers a concentrated opportunity to meet international partners, progress deals and raise a list's profile in three days. Service providers such as printers and technology companies also use the fair to reach decision makers from across the trade. Stand Between can introduce exhibitors to builders who understand the needs of publishers, from meeting tables to face-out display.
Next edition
The London Book Fair 2027: what to expect
The 2027 fair marks a change of venue. It moves to ExCeL London, where it runs from 16 to 18 March 2027, open 9am to 6.30pm on the first two days and 9am to 5pm on the Thursday. The organiser has framed the move as creating more space for the fair's exhibitors and visitors.
For returning exhibitors, last year's stand plan will not necessarily transfer. Floor plans, sight lines and visitor flow at ExCeL differ from the previous venue, so it is worth studying the new layout and the position of the International Rights Centre before choosing a space. ExCeL has its own rules on build times, deliveries and rigging, which a builder familiar with the venue will handle.