LBF to go ahead: 'Fair remains on schedule,' says director Jacks Thomas

London Book Fair director Jacks Thomas has confirmed that the event is still on schedule to run next week, with widespread trailers for the government’s new coronavirus action plan, to be revealed later today (Tuesday 3rd March), indicating that the government will not be recommending cancelling large events or closing schools unless Public Health England advises it.

Thomas and Reed Exhibitions c.e.o. Hugh Jones are understood to have faced opposition in this decision from some members of the LBF Advisory Board at a conference call discussion late yesterday (Monday), with some on the board—which includes representatives of the major trade associations‚Äìsaid to have been calling on Reed to cancel the event.

Thomas told The Bookseller: "I can confirm there was a confidential Advisory Board call yesterday but there was a diversity of views expressed. We are waiting for absolute confirmation with publication of the action plan but [health secretary] Matt Hancock said on the 'Today' programme this morning that the government was not currently recommending cancelling large events and we have always said we reflect the government position. Should that change, we will too."

"We respect travel bans, and people's personal position of not wanting to come over and potentially be quarantined, but at the moment there are also 34 international pavilions who are planning on being here. These are unprecedented, uncharted waters. It's a very fluid situation and you are trying to balance absolutely everything. As a book fair organiser there are many, many constituencies."

UK participants cancelling their attendance at the Fair now include Canongate. The publisher, which had been due to hold its annual London Book Fair Party on Wednesday 11th March, will now not have a presence at the Fair at all. Canongate c.e.o. Jamie Byng said: “It’s with regret that we took the decision this morning not to attend this year’s London Book Fair. But we also felt that this was the responsible course of action, given the current situation.”

Agents report heavy numbers of appointment cancellations, with Patrick Walsh of Pew Literary saying yesterday: “Over and above the LBF cancellations you know about from all the obvious places (such as Italy, America and the Pacific Rim countries), we’ve today had cancellations from Spain (the Planeta Group) France (Hachette editors), Norway, Israel and Sweden, so there’s an obvious wave of concern internationally. I’m sure there’ll be many, many more international cancellations. Such a great shame.”

Agent Clare Alexander said that with most of her agency’s appointments cancelled, the question of whether she was attending the fair was “pretty academic”, adding: “At the moment we are fielding cancellations and thinking about ways to have virtual meetings with people we will not be able to see face-to-face.”

Also cancelled are book fair parties scheduled by agency WME and the Association of Authors Agents.

Scout Louise Allen-Jones is among those cancelling her attendance at the Fair. “No matter how careful individuals are trying to be, or how many precautions they’ve taken, attending the London Book Fair, (which currently remains steadfast in its intent to go ahead), seems a completely unnecessary risk to insist on putting my staff through. They would be sitting in close proximity to people who have travelled here from all corners of the globe, and I would be wholly irresponsible if I put them in a position which I don’t believe anyone should be in, particularly in the context of work,” she said.

However agent Andrew Nurnberg said all his international staff—bar those in China—planned to attend the Fair. He told The Bookseller: “I’m completely aware that we don’t all think the same way and certainly if individuals have any doubts, they shouldn’t come. I respect that entirely. Our company will not have a blanket policy and the choice of anyone who chooses not to attend will be totally respected. I believe our colleagues from all our international offices will be coming, other than from China, which has as much to do with the extent of the problem there, as it has with the lack of aeroplane connections.

“The Book Fair is important, our half hour meetings over a table are important; the Fair is equidistant between the Frankfurt Book Fairs. Bologna is also important and we have rescheduled our travel to be able to make it there in May.

“What concerns me is that we may be over-anxious, and that the media are taking advantage of this. Yes, this strain of virus is particularly worrisome, given that it has never been known before, and there is as yet no available antidote. But we all take other risks in our lives‚Äìin my case, traversing open glaciers or climbing rock faces that have rather too few cracks for comfort. If, after looking at the statistics and potential odds, you are worried, then best follow the Highway Code: if in doubt, don’t.”

The government’s action plan—should the virus spread—includes bringing NHS staff out of retirement, encouraging home working and advising against unnecessary travel as part of a “social distancing” strategy. That would aim to delay the virus peak until the warmer months when weather conditions could help in the fight. The government is also looking at the introduction of emergency indemnity coverage for health care workers to provide care services and relaxation of rules around staff to pupil ratios in schools.

A bill giving the government extra powers to help bring the outbreak under control is expected to go through Parliament later this month. Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s Budget on 11th March is also expected to support the response.

Yesterday Amazon pulled out of LBF, joining the US businesses of HarperCollins and Hachette, Simon & Schuster, Macmillan and Penguin Random House who had withdrawn a number of their rights staff from the Fair amid the coronavirus outbreak.