Category Archives: Everyone

As this was part of the London Book Fair it’s only right to include a section on another vital aspect of the business, so it was great to see a separate area where illustrators could exhibit their work, present portfolios and meet prospective publishers. Three people I’d like to give a special mention to: Tita Berredo – a talented writer and illustrator based in Glasgow (www.titaberredo.com); Lizzie Harper – natural history and general illustrator (www.lizzieharper.co.uk); author and illustrator Patrick Kennedy (www.upfunt.com). Their websites are all worth checking out for the sheer variety of styles they offer. 

A quick shot of Tita Berredo’s display panel (below left), Lizzie Harper (below right) at work illustrating in water colour and Patrick Kennedy (centre) working on a lino cut of a Pangolin – detailed, painstaking work.

David McKee was the Illustrator of the Fair celebrating 30 years since the launch of his Elmer the Elephant character published by Andersen Press. The 84-year-old picture book illustrator was interviewed for a ‘Fireside Chat’ in the Podcast Theatre situated on a very busy corner of the Grand Hall. It was a fascinating insight into an ‘old school’ illustrator – no computer, scanner or fancy software – ‘If I make a mistake or don’t like the finished picture I just start again’ – gasps from the assembled crowd grasping their digital tablets. He still uses gouache, crayons and pencil for his work.

McKee’s inspiration comes from his love of elephants and the influence of artist Paul Klee. When asked to give a professional hint or tip to the waiting audience he replied that he hadn’t got anything much to say, but aspiring illustrators should really enjoy what they are doing and, if they didn’t they should do something else. I think that goes for pretty much everything in the book world.

I hope that this section will be repeated next year.

An interesting vending machine has made its debut at London’s Canary Wharf according to the company. Called the Short Story Dispenser it prints out free short stories on eco-friendly paper at the touch of a button. All you need to do is choose the length of your story, one, three or five minutes, and the dispenser will select a story for you from classic and new writers from genres such as suspense, crime, science fiction, romance, humour, fiction and children’s stories. Invented by the French company Short Édition, it was first debuted in Paris and has sites in the USA, Hong Kong and Canada.

The last month was a busy one in the book world and one I’m still trying to catch up with. Early in March we had World Book Day followed by the London Book Fair and a number of literary awards. From personal observation World Book Day certainly has high aims, but seems to have been hijacked, yet again, by the dressing-up brigade. The emphasis appears to be let’s find lots of costumes for the kids (swooped on retailers keen to sell them rather than books) while relegating the real aim of WBD – reading – to a lesser level. Delighted to see the school that banned fancy dress and instead encourage wearing of pyjamas to emphasise bedtime stories. Maybe next year there’ll be more books.

The London Book Fair 2019, on the other hand, certainly restored faith in the physical book. Despite all the comment about the imminent death of the printed word and the demise of the bookshop, which has now gone on for several years, it’s certainly wasn’t evident at Kensington Olympia. In fact it’s wonderful to see so many publishers from across the globe busy taking orders and discussing titles. Market Focus this year was Indonesia bringing not just its diverse publishing reputation, but a hint of its heritage and culture. This selection of a different market each year adds another fascinating dimension to the Fair.

The dates are already out for 2020. No time to waste!