Khan and Mosse to speak at London Book Fair

The London Book Fair (LBF) has revealed the final highlights from its events programme, including events with Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, Kate Mosse and a raft of Ukrainian authors.

Khan will be in conversation with Young Vic artistic director Kwame Kwei-Armah on Wednesday 19th April, when they will discuss London’s role as a hub for the UK’s creative economy; climate change and the role of cities in supporting a more sustainable future; what the publishing industry can learn from other industries in supporting sustainability and showcasing best practice; and the Mayor’s own experience and how this has shaped his upcoming book Breathe: Tackling the Climate Emergency (25th May, Hutchinson Heinemann).

Khan said: “I’m delighted to attend this year’s London Book Fair and engage with an industry that is so important to London’s cultural vibrancy and the UK’s creative economy. Cities like London are leading from the front in taking action to tackle the climate emergency – and I look forward to discussing how we can all play a part in building a greener future.”

Mosse will appear in the keynote session on Thursday 20th April, in conversation with Louise Minchin. She will discuss her newly announced book The Ghost Ship (Mantle); the Women’s Prize for Fiction; her hopes for the Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction; and the work that still needs to be done to champion women’s voices in the industry.

She said: “The London Book Fair is one of the highlights of my book year – I’ve been coming for as long as I can remember, first as a publisher, then when we launched the Women’s Prize, next as a new author meeting my foreign-language publishers for the first time, and since then to celebrate publication and to listen to the debates and discussions. The atmosphere, the buzz, the sense of joy in books and publishing opportunities, it remains one of the most exciting and vibrant book fairs in the world, so I’m delighted to be one of the 2023 keynote speakers. It’s great to be back!”

The organisers have also announced that the seminar programme will feature a series of events as part of the Guest Spotlight on Ukraine. Created in partnership with the Ukrainian Book Institute, English PEN, the Publishers Association (PA), International Publishers Association (IPA) and the British Council, these conversations will consider how Ukrainian writers have responded to the war, the role that books play in the fight against disinformation and for democracy, the role of women’s voices in these discussions, and writing from the front line. There will also be a stand showcasing the rich variety of contemporary Ukrainian publishing located at stand number 2B01.

Oleksandra Koval, director of the Ukrainian Book Institute, commented: "We are grateful to the organisers of the London Book Fair for inviting us as a Guest Spotlight and helping us with our stand. Since the beginning of the war, our reality has changed: we have witnessed what social media hides by marking photos as ‘sensitive content’. Our truth is not aimed at impressing, but at testifying to the crimes that Russians commit every day against Ukrainians and Ukrainian culture.

“We have learned to move on, to write and publish books, but our experience is going to stay with us forever. We show this duality with the project by Daria Bila and Sofia Hupalovska at our booth: new books from Ukraine and furniture from Ukrainian libraries destroyed by Russian shelling. We covered the war-torn library furniture and books with white paint. We are covering up the reality so that we can move on with our lives, but it is still visible and speaks through new Ukrainian books. The truth must be told – the truth about the war, writing during the war, and what art will look like after it when Ukraine overcomes the colonising pressure of Russia."

Among the authors of its programme who will speak about Ukraine are Olesia Khromeychuk, Mariana Savka, Luke Harding, Victoria Amelina, Oleksandr Mykhed, Yaryna Chornohuz, Orysia Lutsevych, Kateryna Babkina, Tetyana Teren, Nina Murray, Tanja Tuma, Iva Pezuashvili, Paul Robert Magocsi, Vladislav Davidzon.

Gareth Rapley, LBF director, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to welcome such distinguished guests to take part in our agenda-setting seminar programme this year. The publishing industry makes a crucial contribution to the UK’s arts industry, and we look forward to hearing Mayor Khan’s insights into this and how the book world can contribute to the sustainability agenda. Kate Mosse is one of the UK’s most respected writers and industry voices, and it will be fascinating to hear about her latest projects and her vision for championing women’s voices in literature in the UK and around the world.

“We are honoured to welcome Ukraine as our Guest Spotlight and are delighted to host Ukrainian publishers and a number of Ukrainian speakers both in person and virtually, as they explore the country’s rich literary culture and how the war is shaping literary output and conversations. With hundreds of speakers and dozens of topics, LBF’s seminar programme promises to offer a plethora of thought-provoking and insightful discussions about every facet of the industry.”