by MARIE SINADJAN
I had the privilege of attending the London Book Fair from March 12 to 14, at Olympia London, a massive exhibition center in West Kensington. As an independent author looking to further my career, I had been excited to learn more about the publishing industry and dive into the myriad seminars offered by the Fair. There were over a hundred to choose from, including a talk by Taylor Jenkins Reid, bestselling author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and one on the American TV miniseries Daisy Jones and the Six. It had been three full days of learning, meeting other industry professionals, and lots of walking.
The London Book Fair was primarily a trade fair and not really an avenue for book sales to readers. Most attendees were in business meetings with literary agents and booksellers, dealing with rights negotiation as well as the selling and distribution of their content to other media channels, such as film or TV. Over a thousand exhibitors had set up shop in the different areas of the venue, ranging from publishing companies of all sizes and from different countries, to service and digital solution providers like Kindle Direct Publishing, Audible, IngramSpark, Lulu, and Spotify.
The Philippines was proudly represented by the National Book Development Board (NBDB), our country’s book authority and the representative of publishers and creatives across the islands. Stand 2A99 showcased some of the best books Filipinos have to offer, ranging from general fiction to children and young adult books, and even graphic novels.
On Day 2, the NBDB sponsored a talk at the International Markets Theater titled “A Habit of Shores: Translating Across Seas from the Philippines to the UK.” Kevin Ansel Dy, head of NBDB’s policy and research division, and Kristian Sendon Cordero, poet, translator, editor and proprietor of Savage Mind, an independent community bookshop in Naga, discussed the long and surprising literary history of the UK and the Philippines’ and how their books found homes in each other’s shores, and called for cultural collaborations that would further expand our country’s publishing shorelines.
We were not the only Filipinos in attendance. Also at the fair was Donald Villamero, founder of DCO Publishing, an independent publisher from our hometown of Cebu. Later, while wandering around the venue, I chanced upon the team from Sweetspire Literature Management and Skyhorn Entertainment, a publishing and movie production company, respectively but, while based in the US, they have an office in Cebu.
It was the best part of the event, reconnecting with Filipino creatives! We talked about our love for books,our experiences in publishing, our plans and upcoming projects, and our collective dream of showcasing more Filipino talents.
I returned home physically exhausted but creatively refreshed. Weeks before the fair I’d started outlining my next book, Overseas Filipino Wizard, but my interactions at the event only reinforced my plans to write a story that would touch on our myths and folklore while also representing those of us abroad and in the diaspora.
But we Filipinos must support each other first and foremost. I’m glad to see that NBDB continues to take care of its creatives—even us who are far away from home—and that local publishers like 8Letters work hard to develop and promote Filipino authors not just in the country but also to international markets, pushing for books to be stocked in the big chain stores and organizing fairs and events like the recent Pinoy ScifiCon. It is now my hope that readers—and booksellers!—will not only patronize international titles but also give Filipino-authored books a chance.
The publishing industry is massive, as evidenced by the London Book Fair. Readers number in the millions, especially now, in the age of ebooks and audiobooks. There’s still so much room for our stories.
A whole world is waiting for us out there.
Editor’s note: The author is a Filipino speculative fictionist and book reviewer based in the UK. She is the co-author of Hotel Fen and The Prophecies of Ragnarok series, and her short stories have appeared in various literary journals and anthologies. www.mariesin-adjan.com