Letter from the London Book Fair

I am proud to present a guest post written by Brett Jocelyn (BJ) Epstein, who very recently attended the London Book Fair. Among BJ’s latest literary accomplishments is Northern Lights: Translation in the Nordic Countries, a volume she edited containing essays from a conference she organized. To learn more about this wonderful writer-editor-translator, please visit BJ’s blog and Web site.

The London Book Fair 2009

by BJ Epstein

Ah, books, books, books. Rows of books, books for sale, authors signing books. Books and more books. That’s what the typical bibliophile would excitedly imagine when thinking of a book fair. In fact, although events such as The London Book Fair (LBF) and the Frankfurt Book Fair seem to be about books, they are really about the bottom line.

The LBF is a place where publishers come to show their wares to other publishers, hoping to make foreign sales. People rush around holding notebooks, looking for books they might want to purchase the rights to and then have translated to their own tongue. The major publishers have big stands with lots of small tables where their agents can meet with other agents. An observer can stand at a distance and watch as figures are discussed and hands are shaken. It’s all very serious and pragmatic and it doesn’t seem to be predicated on a love of books. Writers and translators may feel unwelcome amidst all this deal-making.

Nevertheless, for a visitor willing both to accept that and to do a lot of walking, there is plenty to see and enjoy at the LBF. The fair takes place at Earl’s Court, a large convention center in London, and it is very well organized. The huge main room is where publishers from all over the world have their stands. One area has children’s books, another travel books and maps, the religious (primarily Christian) books are in one (fairly small) spot, textbooks are in their own section, and so on. If you go past this room, after, of course, having browsed it to see what is being published these days (gift books seem to be a growing trend), and on into the next, smaller one, the atmosphere is different. This room is where the printers and binders have their stands, where people sell little book lights and other items for the book-lover, and where the various cultural agencies are located.

As a translator from the Scandinavian languages, I spent most of my time flitting between the Swedish Arts Council, the Danish Arts Agency’s Literature Centre, Norwegian Literature Abroad, Finnish Literature Exchange, the Iceland booth (this was the first year the Icelandic publishers and agencies had their own stand). On Monday, April 20, there was a joint Nordic reception, and events like that are excellent for networking, especially for writers, translators, and people from smaller publishing companies.

I also made sure to visit the stands from other countries. Several of them publish an annual or biannual magazine with biographical information and short translated excerpts from their nation’s top writers. This magazine, such as Sweden’s Swedish Book Review or Portugal’s Voices from the South, is meant to tempt publishers, but it is also a wonderful way for curious readers to learn about the kind of literature being published in other places. Because so few works are translated to English, unless you happen to read a particular tongue, you will never know what writers are doing in other parts of the world. I picked up as many of these magazines as I could carry. India was this year’s special focus at the Book Fair, and I had no idea there were so many publishers in that country. It was very interesting to see the way these publishers manage to differentiate themselves; I was slightly surprised by how many seemed to have a distinct niche in spiritual books.

PEN is also at the fair every year, offering readings. And one of my very favourite parts is the Gourmand area, which showcases top cookbooks from every culture imaginable. Even if you can’t read the books, you can salivate over the pictures. A number of chefs give demonstrations of their craft and they always make enough of the dish for the audience to try a bite as well.

In short, then, the LBF can be an enjoyable event, but only if you are prepared for what it can and can not give you. It is not a place to buy books or to connect with other writers. But it is a place to get a deeper understanding of the publishing world and to feel inspired (or overwhelmed) by the sheer number of books published each year.

The Wednesday Web Browser: Poets & Writers Edition

A couple of days ago I pointed you to the classifieds in the May/June issue of Poets & Writers magazine. Today, I’m going to spotlight some articles the magazine has made available online.

–In a special section on literary journals, Sandra Beasley writes about the evolution of online journals.
–The super “Agents and Editors” series continues, this time with Jofie Ferrari-Adler speaking with agents Maria Massie, Jim Rutman, Anna Stein, and Peter Steinberg.
–Kevin Larimer updates us on small presses and lit mags.

There’s plenty of great content in the print issue, too, including Mary Gannon’s profile of Jay McInerney. Since I encountered resistance from some fiction workshop-mates when I wrote stories (in 2002) with connections to the attacks of September 11, 2001, I particularly appreciated this snippet: “And, as he did by using the second person in his debut, in The Good Life McInerney took a risk by writing about New York City in the immediate aftermath of September 11, despite advice from the late Norman Mailer to hold off ten years. ‘I was writing about the emotional texture of those three months afterwards,’ he says. ‘If I had waited, that would have faded for me.'”

This Practicing Writer’s YouTube Debut

As you may have heard, last week marked the 50th birthday of Strunk & White’s famous Elements of Style. To celebrate the occasion, my friend Anne and I (and Anne’s husband) attended a panel discussion focusing on the book at the Museum of the City of New York.

Ron Hogan, of Galleycat (and Beatrice) fame, was also present, and he was gracious enough to invite Anne and me to share a few thoughts about the book. On camera.

To my knowledge, this marks my YouTube debut. Fortunately, I didn’t have to speak first–that’s Anne in the opening shot.

P.S.–Ron has posted a few more tidbits about the panel here.

Friday Find: Critical Mass Spotlighted Blogs

Given my not-so-harmonious history with the National Book Critics Circle blog, I was wary yesterday morning when Practicing Writing’s site statistics revealed a surge of readers coming right from precisely that source. But what I found when I checked the NBCC blog was a very pleasant surprise.

You see, the post that was driving traffic to Practicing Writing was Rigoberto González‘s “Spotlight on Blogs.” From the post:

I attended a forum recently in which MFA graduate students impressed upon the audience the importance of reading blogs as a way to stay in the loop and keep abreast of the goings-on in the literary world. And when I wholeheartedly agreed, I was duly asked which blogs I would personally recommend. I had to think for a moment and I gave an on-the-spot reply, but I promised to relay a more substantial response once I went home and thought about it more carefully.

And that response (the post) included a full list of recommendations. Including–you guessed it–Practicing Writing.

We’re in some great company (including a couple of blogs new to me). Be sure to check them out at the post.

So here’s a big thank you to Rigoberto González (we met briefly at a CUNY event two years ago, but I’m not sure he’ll remember that), a warm welcome to all our new readers, and happy weekend wishes to the regulars!

From My Bookshelf: No Right to Remain Silent, by Lucinda Roy

Perhaps today is the most appropriate day to share my current reading. I’ve just started No Right to Remain Silent, poet-novelist-professor Lucinda Roy’s account of/response to the tragic events that took place at her university two years ago today. So far, I’ve read only two chapters. But whether I get to read more today or not, I’ll definitely be thinking of the events of April 16, 2007.

To learn more about Roy’s new book, click here.