Is London Book Fair Worth it for Authors?

London Book Fair is a bustling and exciting place to be. A lot of deals are made. You can feel the buzz. This year they had an Author’s HQ and the SOA (Society of Authors) was also there. But is it worth it for authors? We ask Joanna Knowles, author of Lost and Found in Venice.

Was this your first time at the London Book Fair?

Yes, it was. I had contemplated going before but I had been advised that it was more of a trade event, not an event for authors to network or make contacts. However, now I was more established as an author, I saw the LBF advertised, and with tickets available specifically geared towards authors, I decided that maybe the event would be beneficial to my career. Plus, a trip to London is always a great location for inspiration and cultural enjoyment. The museums, the libraries, the natural beauty of the parks contrasting against the giant structures that seep their histories via their bricks and mortar; no wonder J.M Barrie said, “London is a swarming, restless, bustling town, always on the go.”

Why did you go?

The brochure advertised seminars that really appealed to me, and so I planned by visit by what seminars I could attend and learn from. I also noticed there would be an Authors HQ stage. With writing being a naturally solitary profession, I was excited at the prospect of meeting fellow authors and visiting the hub of a profession I am proud to be a part of. 

Did you enjoy it?

The vibe was definitely humming. An eclectic mix of languages, conversations, and book genres that meant the place was thriving. And huge! Sadly, the recommended app requested to download before attending wasn’t working and so I was unable to navigate the fair with destinations in mind. It was more of a stroll to find stands that interested me. I did speak to a wonderful LBF employee at their large Helpdesk who did offer guidance based on where I wanted to visit. 

The Olympia Building stands as a beauty icon in its own right. As you enter, it is the sheer amount of glass and arching ceiling that made me want to stop and just stare. However, the enormity of the site from a practical point of view was a little overwhelming without a map to guide me, and I also found little seating in the complex, observing others sitting sporadically on the floor. 

I did have certain seminars that I had pencilled in to attend, noting previously that they didn’t need advance booking, but I found myself unable to enter the first seminar due to a lack of spacing and a plethora of people spilling outside of the Author HQ stage. I did try to fit in the area outside, in the hope that I might be able to hear, but I was moved on by a security guard for health and safety reasons as the walkway was beginning to get blocked. 

Do you feel like it’s a good place for authors?

If a group of authors visited together, I can see the advantage of networking and comparing notes. There is a real opportunity to utilise the opportunity of having so many authors in one place. 

Plus, the seminars I had chosen to attend were directed towards authors, and if there had been more space and seating available, I can see it being a great place to gain insight from a profession that is mostly remote. Plus, if an author is without an agent, then learning the valuable processes of how the industry works could be incredibly useful. 

What did you gain from it?

The people I did speak to are very friendly, agreeable, and everyone is clearly passionate about the industry. I felt energised just from being there and being in the presence of the giants of publishing. I did visit my own publishing house and could see the energy and excitement that goes into each meeting with attendees. 

It was also fascinating to be a part of something that is industry renowned around the world. To know that deals were happening under the same roof and that potentially, the next bestseller was being discovered over coffee, or the newest trend was being discussed was exciting. Equally, to see the various stalls evidence the creativity, passion, and effort that goes into the written word was just a joy to be around. Particular highlights include theHatchette UK stand, the Audible stand, Wordsworth Editions Ltd and The British Library stand. 

As an author, what would you like to see more of at LBF?

Networking opportunities that are both free, assessable and insightful for authors that are navigating their own position in the industry. To be able to pre-book onto seminars so that the itinerary is set, and a place is guaranteed. This would avoid the over-crowding and limited access that I encountered on the day. 

The queues for refreshments were long; so perhaps more catering would help with keeping people hydrated and provide the valuable seating that the 2025 LBF lacked. Also, a potential opportunity to purchase goods on display (which I appreciate would be limited in space and volume), but would offer great marketing potential rather than just scanning a barcode and being sent a summary of activity after the event. 

Do you recommend other author goes?

Not unless recommended by their editor/agent to do so. There are limited opportunities for authors as the fair stands now; but I do feel there is huge potential to make the event more author friendly and desirable to all. 

Joanna Knowles –

Author, Writer, Prolific Reader, Lover of Cake.

Joanna lives in the south of England with her family, in a house with far too many books, and a cat who often ignores her. She hates to fly but loves to travel; she prefers paperbacks to eBooks, and she adores American sitcoms.

Alongside her writing, she has a love of movies, eating out, and socialising with her friends. Her family are her world and her husband is the love of her life. She loves to read. Anything. Shampoo bottles, magazines, current affairs, 19th century literature; and she has a particular penchant for a pretty book cover. She has completed both a BA(Hons) in English Literature and a master’s degree in creative writing, all while her children were little. Her biggest complement would be to be called a geek. Her love of literature comes from a young age, when seated cross-legged on the classroom floor, reading book after book in the book corner. 

These days, she can often be found scouring the internet for her next book destination, failing miserably at the daily crossword, and writing her next novel sitting absolutely anywhere, but at her desk.

Lost and Found in Venice is Joanna’s second published novel with Orion Fiction. Her debut, Love is in the Air, was published in November 2023. She is currently working on her third novel which takes place at the top of a volcano. 

BLENHEIM PALACE HAS CREATED AN EXCLUSIVE DISPLAY OF RARE TIMEPIECES PROMPTED BY THE MARCH 30TH CHANGING OF THE CLOCKS.

An ormolu and blue painted mantel clock, French, circa 1795.

UNESCO World Heritage Site and award-winning attraction, Blenheim Palace is celebrating the clocks going forward with an exclusive display of rare timepieces in Family Treasures, its forthcoming new visitor experience. 

As we prepare to set our clocks forward on Sunday (30th March), Blenheim Palace is marking the occasion by unveiling two remarkable and unusual clocks that will be featured in Family Treasures, a unique new visitor route into the Private Apartments, extending the Palace by five additional rooms.

Visitors will journey through some of the grandest rooms to unlock never before seen treasures, and follow in the footsteps of dukes, duchesses and their illustrious guests. The new extended tour will offer a new route through the Duke’s Bar into the corridor, as well as the Family Dining Room, The Smoking Room and the Duchess’s Sitting Room. Guests will then enter the spectacular Grand Cabinet, the most opulent room in the Palace normally reserved for special family occasions. The tour will then continue through the Palace Drawing Rooms, a route walked by royalty and the most important guests to the Palace. 

Not only is the Grand Cabinet a treasure trove, but it’s steeped in history as it was once used as a schoolroom during WWII by Lady Rosemary Spencer-Churchill, the daughter of the Duke of Marlborough and amongst the six Coronation Maids of Honour chosen to accompany Her Majesty the Queen at Westminster Abbey in 1953.

Family Treasures enhances the visitor experience by 20 minutes and features a host of priceless artefacts and collections including a special display of exquisite timepieces from different eras:

  • In the Dining Room visitors will find a Chimney piece designed by Vanbrugh (above) and a rare skeleton timepiece. English, early 19th century, attributed to John Moxon
  • Another masterpiece on the new tour can be found in the Grand Cabinet. An ormolu and blue painted mantel clock, French, circa 1795. The blue painted urn case surmounted by a spray of ormolu flowers flanked by leaf scroll handles and raised on a concave sided rectangular plinth applied with garlands of flowers.

Designed to showcase Britain’s Greatest Palace like never before, Family Treasures is one of three unique new visitor experiences at Blenheim Palace this year.  

An all-new Roof Top View platform experience, providing visitors with never seen before breathtaking views over the Estate including the famous Column of Victory as well as the surrounding Oxfordshire countryside and The Life Below Stairs experience, which will give visitors the opportunity to see the original Palace kitchens.  

These experiences are available alongside the launch of Blenheim Palace’s most ambitious restoration initiative to date, the historic roof project. 

Blenheim Palace first opened its doors to the public 75 years ago to raise funds for essential roof conservation work to preserve the architecture and safeguard the heritage for generations to come. This pivotal £12M project is centred on restoring a significant section of the roof of Britain’s Greatest Palace, ensuring it remains resilient against the elements that threaten its historical integrity.

To experience the new Family Treasures extended tour, visitors must have a valid Blenheim Palace Annual Pass or day tickets.

For information on the new visitor experiences at Blenheim Palace and to book tickets, visit www.blenheimpalace.com/whats-on/events/new-for-2025

To find out more about the roof restoration project, visit www.blenheimpalace.com/restoration

Just Launched: WildBird’s New Aerial Wrap Carrier – A Fresh Take on a Bestseller

WildBird, who make amazing, soft, baby slings, have officially launched the Aerial Wrap Carrier. This latest addition to the WildBird family is a new take on the best-selling Aerial Buckle Carrier, offering the same ergonomic support and stylish design, now with a flexible wrap-style fit that models to both wearer and baby for ultimate comfort.

It is a fantastic baby sling that is easy to use. I love the fact it brings the baby really close to you, hugging into your chest.

Designed for newborns, the Aerial Wrap Carrier provides hands-free convenience while maintaining the soft, breathable fabrics WildBird is known for. Whether parents are at home or on the go, this carrier delivers a snug, supportive hold without bulky hardware–just simple, intuitive babywearing.

Wuku Heat Patch – Effective, Discrete, Long-lasting Pain Relief – by Award-Winning Author Dr Kathleen Thompson

Period pains can be so very unpleasant, and they really do make one wonder what God was thinking when he created periods. However if you have endometriosis, they can be much worse. Endometriosis happens when the cells which should only be found lining the uterus, attach themselves to various other locations in the abdomen, such as the ovaries or even bowel. These cells behave as if they were still in the uterus, thickening and breaking down during menstruation, which, because they’re in the wrong place, can cause severe abdominal pain, not to mention internal scarring and adhesions, and infertility.

Incredibly, endometriosis is thought to affect 1 in 10 women and can lead those women to dread their monthly period, some relying on large amounts of pain killers just to cope.

It’s always a concern when someone is needing regular high-dose pain-relief, as no medication is without side-effects and that’s why I’m delighted that Wuku have developed a special heat patch which can really help, and it’s particularly good to talk about this now, as March is Endometriosis Awareness Month.

Wuku heat patches are very slim and discrete, and you simply stick one to the OUTSIDE of your underwear over the painful area – be it the lower abdomen, or the back. Pealing the protective cover off the patch automatically activates it to produce heat for, guess what, up to twelve hours. This prolonged action makes this heat patch so much more useful than other similar ones and means you can carry on with your day with that constant comforting warmth.

Personally, I’m of an age where period pains are happily a long-forgotten memory, however I’m suffering with troublesome back pain at the moment, so I was keen to test the heat patches. Small and neat, around 4 inches by 3 inches, you simply remove the cover to reveal the adhesive surface. The heat then starts in around 30 seconds. Please be patient – 30 seconds can seem a long time when you’re watching for something to happen, but once it does starts, the temperature increases steadily, reaching a very comfortable level over a few more minutes. The heat then stays at that level for a long, long time, I’ve been wearing the patch for hours and it’s still emitting a very pleasant heat which is really easing my pain.

So if you suffer from bad period pains, or even if you just have a bad back like me, I can truly recommend Wuku Heat Patches. At £12.99 for four patches they’re a great price and very effective. It’s well worth taking a look at the Wuku website for other great period and women’s health products too. They clearly have a mission to make a difference.

By Dr K Thompson, award-winning author of From Both Ends of the Stethoscope: Getting through breast cancer – by a doctor who knows
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01A7DM42Q http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A7DM42Q
http://faitobooks.co.uk


Note: These articles express personal views. No warranty is made as to the accuracy or completeness of information given and you should always consult a doctor if you need medical advice.

More children starting school with poor speech and language skills – Practical tips for parents

Children need all of the support they can get. Especially after COVID. A new survey of UK teachers reveals a rise in pupils starting school with poor speech and language skills since the pandemic.

Commissioned by assessment provider GL Assessments, the poll of 1,000 teachers found that nearly half of primary teachers estimate up to one in five of their pupils struggle with speech and language. These difficulties often become apparent when children start school (48%) or even earlier (33%). 

Many teachers report that speech and language issues are frequently mistaken for reading and maths difficulties (46%) or misidentified as behavioural problems (27%). Additionally, 44% of primary school teachers say up to a fifth of their pupils struggle to communicate at an age-appropriate level, while 37% believe the issue affects as many as two in five pupils.

A significant 76% of teachers feel parents often deny or overlook these challenges. However, there are practical strategies parents can use to support their child’s language development.

Below, Cristina Miguelez, Spokesperson at online language learning platform Preply offer key tips to help parents support their child’s speech and communication skills at home:  

1. Read together and discuss the story

Reading books with your child is integral to develop their literacy skills and understanding of language. Furthermore, discussing the books you read together can positively impact their communication skills. 

It encourages them to express their opinions and enhances their ability to recall details, improving their overall understanding of language and communication. Keep their favourite books within easy reach so they can revisit them, reinforcing their memory and comprehension.

2. Reflect on the day’s activities

Another effective way to support your child’s language development is to regularly discuss their day and the activities they’ve engaged in. For instance, ask them about their school day or, if you’ve taken them to the park, encourage them to share their favourite part of the experience. 

Like discussing books, this helps children understand how to use language effectively and communicate their thoughts more clearly.

3. Engage in conversations about TV shows

If your child enjoys watching children’s television, discussing what they watch can significantly enhance their language skills.

Educational programmes are particularly beneficial, as they introduce new vocabulary and concepts. Engaging your child in conversations about these shows can deepen their understanding and reinforce language learning.

4. Use comments instead of questions

While asking children questions is important, too many can feel like a test. Instead, focus on making conversations more natural. Comment on what they are doing and what is happening around them rather than constantly quizzing them.

This approach helps children feel more relaxed and comfortable when communicating, making it easier for them to process and respond to language. 

5. Turn everyday moments into learning opportunities

Daily routines can be powerful tools for language development. Activities such as cooking, shopping, or getting dressed provide opportunities to introduce new words and encourage conversation.

For example, while preparing a meal, talk about the ingredients, describe their colours and textures, and explain the cooking process. These simple, everyday interactions can significantly enhance a child’s vocabulary and understanding of language.

Becoming an Author Takes a Huge Amount of Talent. We Deserve Better Than AI and Piracy.

Last week, thanks to a fantastic article in The Atlantic, I found out that one of my books had been taken from a piracy site and used by Meta to train their AI. Seeing your book on a piracy site hurts a lot. It takes years to write a book. There is a huge amount of sacrifice. Of sleep, time spend with loves ones, and time spent with Netflix. Querying is hard and tough on your mental health. After all of that, your book can then die on submission. Then you have to write another book and start the whole thing from the beginning.

Where The Light is Hottest, Catherine Yardley, Balavage

Authors do not earn a lot of money. At last count the average was seven thousand pounds a year. If you worked out the hours we put in, it is below minimum wage. You have to really love it to be an author. The highs are liking nothing on earth and the lows are crushing.

@balavage It is hard being an author. I know this is a bit of a rant but please bare with me. Leave your comments below. #booktok#writertok#authortok#writingcommunity#authorscommunity#writing#publishing♬ original sound – Catherine Balavage Yardley

Being an author is as hard as any other career. Yes, it has a huge amount of benefits. Working from home, being creative and seeing your work out there in the world. But the work can be tedious. Reading the same book multiple times. Editing it so many times that you want to give up. Then you market it while writing your next one. It is the dream, it really is. Don’t get me wrong, but there is a lot of work involved. If you cannot afford books you can go to the library. Authors get paid when you borrow our books. There is also the Libby library app if you are not near a library. My two books, Where The Light is Hottest and Ember are both on kindle unlimited. I hate to be downer and I know how lucky I am. I feel privileged and happy every day, but please stop stealing our work. Especially if you are a trillion dollar company. We can only write if our books sell. Publishers will not give us contracts if they think we have no readers. Publishing is a business like no other. It is all about the bottom line. Thank you. Please share any comments below.

Michael Rowan bids au revoir to this season of London Philharmonic Concerts, with a staggering performance of Mahler’s Symphony No 5, and a veritable treat, from the pianist, Francesco Piemontesi, playing Shuman’s Piano Concerto. However, for the rest of you there are still more gems to enjoy. Details at the end of this review.

Image credit: Benjamin Ealovega

As music is so subjective, Frost Magazine is delighted to present the views of two of their reviewers on this concert – Paul Vates, yesterday, and now Michael Rowan . Enjoy.

Piano Concerto in A minor: Francesco Piemontesi, a native of Locarno, has gained a reputation as one of the leading interpreters of the German classical and romantic repertoire, little wonder that he was invited to perform here.

Francesco Piemontesi: image credit. Camille Blake

Schuman’s Piano Concerto is one of his finest large -scale creations and is one of his most daring and romantically delightful works. Undoubtedly challenging for the pianist, but Piemontesi was well up to the challenge. Grabbing the attention with an explosive start, then the piano comes in quietly to begin with, then the strings, blissfully swelling, demonstrating the skills of the full orchestra. Joyful and uplifting and finally the stunning piano solo transforming the Festival Hall into and intimate Salon, before returning us to the concert hall.

It is hard to describe the music, the nearest I came to it is, ‘gorgeous gorgeosity,’ a quote from an Anthony Burgess novel, that sums up this piece, joyful and all consuming. It is the music that could lead me into the best sleep that I could ever imagine, or if I could choose some music to listen to before the anaesthetic kicks in this would be it, and at the very end I cannot imagine a more beautiful piece to finally leave the planet.

The finale launches into an exhilarating waltz – the ending sounds like an outpouring of unbridled joy. Much of the audience were on their feet and everybody cheering demanding an encore. And what an encore, the orchestra and audience held its breath in rapt attention scared of missing a single note. More thunderous applause ensued, leaving no doubt how much we valued the talent of Francesco Piemontesi.

Following the interval, we sat back to enjoy Mahler’s Symphony No 5

It is impossible not to think of the film ‘Death in Venice’ when listening to Mahler’s Symphony No 5 and the scene with Dirk Bogarde as he views Venice from the Grand Canal.

Little wonder then that this music fits so perfectly with the film, which looks through the eyes of a lonely old man, towards the end of his life, appreciating fleeting beauty and mortality all of which can be drawn from the music.

Conductor Robin Ticciati (image credit Mark Allan) regularly collaborates with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Ticciati was born in London and trained as a violinist, pianist, and percussionist. Receiving his OBE in 2019. As a conductor Mahler was a strict taskmaster and attracted plenty of adverse criticism and whilst Ticciati has to demand much of this orchestra, there is no denying that the musicians liked and respected him, and that the feeling was mutual. We were in very good hands.

The first part, Funeral March, opens with a trumpet fanfare, quiet to begin with but growing to a magnificent crescendo, at first brooding and finally ecstatic, sweeping the audience before it. The second movement plunged us into a turbulent, furious, and manic fray, broody and dark giving way to lighter moments.

And then the famous Adagietto forever linked to Death in Venice. Beautiful, haunting and filmic. Uplifting, rousing,, rhythmic comes to a frenzied end, which left the conductor, orchestra and the audience exhausted. It had been quite a journey, but so very worthwhile. A special mention to Robin Ticciati who had the unenviable task of keeping the energy up for an orchestra already giving their all.

Dirk Bogarde when on Desert Island Discs, told the story of taking the film, ‘Death in Venice,’ to Warner Brothers in Hollywood, hoping to sell the film to the American Market. The screening was attended by all the top executives, but the end of the film was met with total silence. Bogarde’s first thought was that they couldn’t move for emotion until one of them said ‘I think that the music was just great, who did the theme music?’ Visconti, the director, realised that the film had bombed and said ‘it’s by Gustave Mahler,’ at which point the Hollywood bigwig turned to the assembled audience and said, ‘I think that we should sign him.’

Upcoming Concerts

Alina Ibragimova plays Prokofiev Wednesday 26 March 2025, 6.30pm – Royal Festival Hall In a time of revolution, Prokofiev’s First Violin Concerto wove fairytale magic – and no-one makes it dance like Alina Ibragimova.

Repertoire Saariaho – Orion.  Prokofiev – Violin Concerto No. 1.  Nielsen – Symphony No. 5

Tan Dun’s Water Concerto Saturday 29 March 2025, 7.30pm – Queen Elizabeth Hall. Eva Ollikainen rediscovers two modern classics, and Colin Currie – in the words of one critic, ‘surely the world’s finest and most daring percussionist’ – explores new ways of listening, with the extraordinary, culture-crossing Water Concerto by Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon composer Tan Dun.

Repertoire Pärt – Symphony No. 1 (Polyphonic). Tan Dun – Water Concerto. Lutosławski – Symphony No. 3

Re. Easter, these are the April events until the end of the season:

Jurowski conducts Lyatoshynsky Wed 2 April 2025, 7.30pm – Royal Festival Hall ‘Peace Shall Defeat War’ wrote Boris Lyatoshynsky on the score of his Third Symphony, and the message of this great 20th-century Ukrainian composer has never felt more urgent or compelling. Vladimir Jurowski presents a programme of uncompromising emotional power.

The music. Prokofiev – Selection from Semyon Kotko. Mussorgsky (arr. Denisov) – Songs and Dances of Death. Lyatoshynsky – Symphony No. 3

Tragedy to Triumph Sat 5 April 2025, 7.30pm – Royal Festival Hall. Schubert’s unstoppable Ninth Symphony is known as ‘the Great’ – and with Vladimir Jurowski bringing all his insight and imagination, you’ll hear why.

The music Beethoven – Coriolan Overture. R Schumann – Violin Concerto. Schubert – Symphony No. 9 (The Great)

Jan Lisiecki plays Beethoven Sat 12 April 2025, 7.30pm – Royal Festival Hall. There are few experiences in classical music more invigorating, or more stirring than Sibelius’s Second Symphony. For the young Finnish conductor Tarmo Peltokoski, Sibelius is a national hero. There’s another tale about memory to be told here, as Canadian pianist Jan Lisiecki takes centre stage to showcase the grandeur and glory of Beethoven’s mighty ‘Emperor’ Concerto.

The music Sibelius – Pohjola’s Daughter. Beethoven – Piano Concerto No. 5 (Emperor) Sibelius – Symphony No. 2

Daphnis and Chloé Wed 23 April 2025, 6.30pm – Royal Festival Hall. Wed 23 April 2025, 8.30pm – Royal Festival Hall. Ravel’s orchestral masterpiece is a ballet that resists staging, rarely being performed as a ballet. Enter Circa’s powerful acrobatics and aerials.

The music Ravel – Daphnis et Chloé. Ravel – La valse

Mahler 8 Sat 26 April 2025, 7.30pm – Royal Festival Hall is sold out.

London Philharmonic Orchestra, Mahler’s Fifth, at Royal Festival Hall, London reviewed by Paul Vates: “It’s the quality of musicianship on display that takes the breath away.”

Gustav Mahler in 1907

A breath-taking evening at the Royal Festival Hall is quite normal for the eager audiences. It’s not that they are easily impressed – far from it. It’s the quality of musicianship on display that takes the breath away.

This evening’s highlight was Gustav Mahler’s Fifth Symphony. Almost 100 musicians filled the stage and, under the flamboyant batonship of Robin Ticciati, the London Philharmonic Orchestra rose to the occasion. From the opening solo trumpet fanfare (take a bow Paul Beniston) to the ups and downs of the whole piece, I felt the musical journey was more than worth it.

Robin Ticciati – ⓒ LPO

Ticciati’s gusto and sheer force of character urged the orchestra through the funeral march, the drama, the waltz, the love-song and the vigorous climax of the symphony’s five movements. The whole work – written in 1901 and 1902 – has been labelled as ‘schizophrenic’ and the changes in rhythm and pace at times are a shock to the system. But I left feeling uplifted and enthralled by the sheer power of Mahler’s music.

Francesco Piemontesi – ⓒ Camille Blake

The evening began with Robert Schumann’s Piano Concerto in A minor (written between 1841 and 1845), played by special guest Francesco Piemontesi. The smaller chamber orchestra, still under Ticciati’s control, complemented Piemontesi’s wonderful interpretation – but, for me, the piece lacked any real cohesion. I am not sure why it was placed with Mahler’s symphony, which outshone it in almost all areas. It was good, but I wasn’t moved in the way some audience members were. But you can’t enjoy everything and it doesn’t stop me being enthralled by the skills on display.

The London Philharmonic Orchestra has a vast range of events at various venues around the country. Check out their website for details – https://lpo.org.uk/whats-on/ .

Principal Conductor Edward Gardner Artistic Director Elena Dubinets

Dates until Saturday 31st May 2025 Check with the LPO website for details

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