Horace Bent: Olympia holds its breath as the Mayor speaks...

There have been many great gigs over the years at Olympia, and I am not just talking about Charlie Redmayne’s famous spot-on rendition of Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero”. (When you see him next, ask him to belt it out. He’ll love it.) I mean gigs of the more professional variety—you may have seen the pics on the hoarding surrounding the fair of Jimi Hendrix, Pink Floyd and Rod Stewart rocking out at the venue in their glory years (or the glory years of your Boomer grandad). Funny, though, that there are no images of the bangin’ B*witched concert I went to here back in 1998. C’est la vie...

I thought of another musical combination at yesterday’s London Book Fair: Spinal Tap, and that scene in the movie when the band can’t find the way to the stage. Exhibitors lucky enough to try to get in around the 8.30 a.m. mark at the main entrance were told they couldn’t get into the halls that way, and were directed to a side entrance. And then were told, “No you need to go to the next entrance”. And then we were directed to the next entrance… Next thing you know, we were at Stamford Bridge. Still, not a total loss: Todd Boehly just hired me to lead the Blues for the rest of the season.

I exaggerate (it has been known to happen). But there was a new system in place to provide some extra security for the star turn yesterday: Sadiq Khan. Sadly, the London Mayor does need some extra muscle to protect him from his sworn enemies: the Corbynista wing of his own Labour Party. But goodness me, Hutchinson Heinemann has a laser-focused hype-man on hand, with Khan somehow able to turn every question from a game Publishers Association boss Dan Conway towards his own upcoming publication. “An interesting question on what London can do to promote the publishing sector, Mr Conway. Perhaps one way is for you to hear all about my book, Breathe, out next month from Hutchinson Heinemann.” “Hmm… Let me take a breath before I answer on publishing’s sustainability. Which reminds me, my book Breathe is out next month from Hutchinson Heinemann. Are there any foreign rights directors in the audience? I have proof copies.”

Speaking of rights folk, there was a hot rumour that Hachette editors were banned from sitting at the desks on the firm’s stand at this year’s LBF, with those hotspots reserved solely for those godly rights-traders. And editors have had to take their LBF meetings in corridors, or at a coffee shop. I know: the privation! But then, it would explain why Federico “Mr Book of the Fair” Andornino was spotted conducting a wall squats-centred HIIT session in an Olympia stairwell with a bunch of agents. And why he has quads of steel.