The London Book Fair (LBF) has announced that bestselling author and TikTok sensation Dr Julie Smith; entrepreneur, author and host of the ‘The Diary of a CEO’ podcast Steven Bartlett; and actor and philanthropist Michael Sheen, will be joining the Main Stage line-up.
Dr Smith, a clinical psychologist, will open proceedings on Day 2, with a pivotal “in conversation” on the Main Stage on Wednesday 13th March, where she’ll be addressing the state of mental health for authors, as well as her meteoric rise on TikTok. Her debut book Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? was the bestselling non-fiction book of 2022. She is currently writing her second book.
The programme on Day 2 will continue with a special session at with renowned entrepreneur, investor, podcaster and bestselling author Steven Bartlett, who will discuss his chart-topping book The Diary of a CEO, his journey from podcaster to published author, his lessons in leadership business and marketing, plus his current third web project and the potential applications of this in the book industry.
Steven joined the BBC’s hit TV show Dragon’s Den from Series 19 as the youngest ever Dragon in the show’s history. He co-founded Flight Story – a marketing and communications company that works with leading brands. His most recent book The Diary of a CEO: The 33 Laws of Business & Life was the fastest selling personal development book since records began. It sold over 500k copies globally, within the first few months of publication, with rights deals in 34 territories.
Meanwhile, Michael Sheen will join an in-conversation panel on Thursday 14th March, alongside Audible Head of UK Tracey Markham, Head of Writer Partnerships at Substack Farrah Storr, and novelist Sunjeev Sahota. The session will focus on how diversity and inclusion (D&I) are delivered within publishing, the wider creative industries, and what constitutes good practice in this area.
Michael Sheen is the co-founder of A Writing Chance, alongside the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and New Writing North. The programme aims to open access to the writing industries for new and aspiring writers from working-class and lower-income backgrounds and for those who face barriers due to intersecting challenges, including but not limited to ethnicity, disability, sexuality, gender identity, age and religious beliefs.
The London Book Fair (LBF) is the world’s largest spring book trade and publishing event, and will return to Olympia London from 12 – 14 March 2024. Visitor registration is now open here.
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