Poland is LBF 2017 market focus

Poland is set to be the market focus for London Book Fair (LBF) 2017.

The LBF cultural programme for Poland will be curated by the British Council and will bring “some of the most prominent and exciting visiting and Britain-based Polish writers to the UK”.

A series of public events to will also take place at venues across the country and LBF itself will provide an “essential insight into the Polish publishing industry” while highlighting business opportunities and showcasing the market’s importance in the wider context of international publishing.

Grzegorz Gauden, director of The Polish Book Institute, said: “We are all aware that the London Book Fair is one of the most important publishing industry events in the world. I deeply believe that by being the market focus country, publishers in English-speaking countries will become interested in new books from Poland and in the entire offer from our publishing industry.”

He added that the country had “something to boast about”, with “many interesting authors in Polish contemporary literature and several literary genres, such as reportage and crime fiction, which are considered around the world as Poland’s speciality”.

Over 32,480 titles are published every year in Poland and the country continues “to be a major player, a significant importer and exporter of translated works, and an innovator in the digital space,” according to Jacks Thomas, director of LBF. “It’s a great time to be working in or doing business with the Polish publishing industry,” she said.

Figures provide by LBF said that 49% of Polish book purchases were made in traditional bookshops but its e-book market, which was valued at £10m in 2014, grew by 16.5% on the previous year. Foreign literature, meanwhile, has a 20.5% market share of Polish book sales.