Dawson, Hallett and Dockrill join line-up for Author HQ and Writers’ Summit at LBF

The London Book Fair (LBF) has announced its Author HQ events programme and the Writers’ Summit conference line-up for 2023. 

Designed to provide writers with an insight into trends and talking points in publishing, topics to be discussed at the Author HQ include TikTok and social media, sensitivity reading and copyright, AI tools for writing and marketing books and preparing for publication, 

Taking place from Tuesday 18th to Thursday 20th April at Olympia, the Author HQ will feature a host of bestselling authors. Juno Dawson and Janice Hallett will share a glimpse of their writing life in a session titled "How I Write", chaired by the editor for Unbound Aliya Gulamani. Additional authors featured on the programme include Katy Brent and Elle McNicholl, alongside leading industry figures from Curtis Brown, Penguin Random House, Profile Books, HarperVoyager, Unbound, Hay Festival, the Women’s Prize for Fiction and the Society of Authors. 

On the afternoon of Wednesday 19th April, Author HQ will host a special Illustrators Programme, featuring a business masterclass for illustrators, tips on how to get your illustrations published, the process behind a cover design and more, with speakers from Bloomsbury, Faber, HarperCollins, the Association of Illustrators, Andersen Press and the Klaus Flugge Prize.

Meanwhile, the Writers’ Summit one-day conference will be held on Wednesday 19th April at Kensington Town Hall. Aimed at equipping writers with practical tools, the conference will feature expert tips, industry advice and author inspiration, as well as practical workshops.

Laura Lee Dockrill will deliver the keynote speech, about finding your way in the literary industry while living with imposter syndrome. Joining her on the programme are authors including Harriet Evans, Rebecca Abrams, Joanne Limburg and Sacha Black as well as experts from The National Centre for Writing in Norwich, The BKS Agency, New Writing North, Spread the Word and the Alliance of Independent Authors. The day will include sessions with authors about their journey to publication, how to polish your book pitch, the value of agents and the support available from literature development agencies.

Gareth Rapley, director of the London Book Fair, said: “Without authors, there would be no book industry. We are delighted to welcome back aspiring, emerging, and seasoned authors to the fair, for two of the key events in the publishing calendar. London Book Fair visitors will be able to gain invaluable insight into authors and illustrators, and their creative process at Author HQ across the three days of the fair, while attending the one-day conference Writers’ Summit will equip them with invaluable skills and knowledge on their journey to publication. The London Book Fair is thrilled to have so many brilliant authors and industry experts sharing their knowledge and experience in this year’s programme.”

Dawson commented: “I’m excited and very honoured to be asked to speak at The London Book Fair. It’s a chance to talk not only about my career highs, but also represent the UK publishing industry to the whole wide world! No pressure!”

Dockrill added: “It is an honour to be asked to speak at the London Book Fair. The atmosphere at the fair is so alive and exciting, it’s wonderful to be able to share stories with others that also love storytelling as much as I do.”

For further information about London Book Fair’s Author HQ and Writers’ Summit programmes, visit the dedicated pages on the London Book Fair website.