Unexpected Benefits – the London Book Fair 2018

Going to the London Book Fair 2018 over three days during the Easter holidays had some rather unexpected benefits: It was good to have a change of scene and to see flowers, their colours enlivening trees and roadsides, lightening the streets under an overcast sky. (After more snow in April, Scotland has just sprung out of hibernation in the last few days.) And after a bout of illness at home during the school holidays, I slept incredibly well in my hotel room in London, uninterrupted for hours at a time, high up on the third floor.

I finally met up with my good friend Frank Kusy, whom I have known for almost a decade since our days on Authonomy. How nice it was to meet up and chat over a meal. Thanks to Frank for making the trek into town to meet up.

I also met other friends from Authonomy – thanks to HarperCollins, the benefits of being part of Autho just seem to keep rolling – and as I was strolling the corridors of the exhibition centre at Olympia, I listened to interviews at the English PEN salon, as well as meeting and chatting with many other good folk: authors and editors, distributors and readers all willing to take a chance on meeting like-minded professionals, and watch the hive of business that is the book industry at work: to marvel at its complexity and its evolving place in the world, as it takes on and embraces new technology. I appreciate the show more with every year that passes.

It was marvellous to watch the whole unfolding of this expertise in one place, and to appreciate the organisation and attention to detail that makes it all work so smoothly. Thanks to everyone who made my trip south so enjoyable.

And thanks for reading.

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