London Book Fair is throwing a significant spotlight on the topic of sustainability in publishing this year with the creation and grand opening of its very own Sustainability Lounge to mark the industry’s commitment to the cause.
With the doors to the 2023 show now open, this week will find London Olympia playing host to a full line-up of sustainability centred discussions, including a guest speaker appearance from the Director of the United Nations Regional Information Centre for Western Europe, Sherri Aldis.
Sherri will join the director of London Book Fair, Gareth Rapley, for a special opening ceremony of the Sustainability Lounge, kickstarting a roster of talks and sessions focusing various areas of impact within the publishing industry’s journey with sustainable development. Visitors to the Lounge will be able to absorb information and practical insight into the topic throughout the course of the show – running from 18th to 20thApril.
“The London Book Fair aims to be the place where conversations around the key issues affecting our industry take place,” London Book Fair’s director, Gareth Rapley told Products of Change.
Sustainability will be at the centre of a number of sessions throughout the Fair’s Seminar Programme, including a keynote talk from the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan on Wednesday, 19th April which will focus on climate change and the role of cities in supporting a more sustainable future.
Following this, a Main Stage session Sustainability in Book Publishing with Ashley Gordon, publishing market development manager at HP; Rachel Martin, global director of sustainability at Elsevier; Amanda Ridout, founder and ceo of Boldwood Books and chair of the IPG Sustainability Action Group; Fabrice Bakhouche, deputy ceo of Hachette Livre; and Jude Drake, head of sustainability at Bloomsbury will take place.
A new category has even been added in the International Excellence Awards for the Sustainability Initiative of the Year, which this year has been won by Bloomsbury.
“With sustainability being a hot topic on our news agenda – and as we’ve seen there’s still work to be done after COP27 – it felt like a key area for debate in our Seminar Programme,” said Gareth. “The Fair itself is aiming to be more sustainable, for example, by reducing the amount of printed material we have on-site, reducing 100% PVC, utilising recycled or sustainable items in our procurement such as lanyards and badge holders.”
Over the last few years, books addressing the climate emergency have been growing in popularity among readers. At the same time, the UK’s £6.9bn publishing industry recognises the major role it has to play in reducing its impact.
“Books are a crucial tool to spread ideas – from Greta Thunberg’s No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference, to Mikaela Loach’s It’s Not That Radical,” said Gareth.
“Finally, LBF is a key place for important discussions: not only our industry, but the press and wider audiences will be paying attention to the ideas that are explored during the Fair, making it the perfect platform to spread a new awareness on issues around our planet, and concrete steps to be taken towards a more sustainable future.”
