Northern Fiction Alliance announces return of The Green Book Fair for second year

The Northern Fiction Alliance, coordinated by Isabelle Kenyon and funded by Comma Press, has announced that The Green Book Fair will return for a second year from 11th to 12th November. 

Hosted entirely online via Zoom, the event invites independent publishers to participate in a series of panels, presentations and networking opportunities and aims to offer an environmentally responsible way for international publishers to conduct business.

The organisers say that this year’s event promises "an expanded programme, featuring industry leaders and addressing crucial topics in modern publishing".

Kenyon said: "After last year’s success, we’re thrilled to bring back The Green Book Fair. Our goal is to foster global connections and knowledge sharing while maintaining our commitment to sustainability in the publishing industry."

This year’s iteration will open with a talk on "making sustainability sexy" by John Pabon, sustainability author and UN advisor, and there will be panels on international publishing featuring experts from Ljubljana Literary Agency and AnatoliaLit Agency, as well as sessions on approaching translation projects and selling rights to TV and film, and discussions on marketing literary fiction and politically sensitive books globally.

There will also be an exclusive pitching session, described as “a unique opportunity for publishers to present their titles to international counterparts”, and a spotlight on design innovation featuring Fitzcarraldo Editions on the art of distinctive publishing.

The fair will include speakers from organisations including UK Publishers Comma Press, Bluemoose Books, Fly on the Wall Press, Feminist Press USA, Wydawnictwo Czarne Poland, Blackie Books, Beacon Press and ArabLit. Registration is now open for all sessions, with some exclusive to publishers and booksellers. The Green Book Fair continues to prioritise accessibility, offering all events free of charge to attendees.