The annual London Book Fair, which took place at London Olympia last week, is one of the biggest
gatherings of publishing people in the world.
We get together to forge and nurture relationships, to debate the issues of the day, to discuss, buy
and sell books. It’s always a celebration of the book world in all its glorious forms.
Of course, like all business sectors, publishing does not exist in a bubble. At this year’s Fair, there
were plenty of reminders of the global challenges we face: missing friends and colleagues from the
Middle East and elsewhere, victims of war and geopolitical tension; The National Year of Reading’s
sterling work to reinvigorate reading for pleasure, especially among children; the challenges of AI to
copyright and jobs; a worrying trend towards censorship in many countries.
But amongst all this, one central publishing truth remains constant: it’s still our job to create brilliant-
and reliable – content that informs, educates and entertains, and to find creative ways to make sure
that our readers know about it.
This need to connect is where the wider publishing ecosystem plays such an important part. That may
be the smallest local independent bookshop; children’s authors who visit schools; charities who
donate books to hard-to-reach communities and, of course, events and festivals like Monty Lit Fest
that give readers the chance to meet authors and talk about their work.
The importance of this connection was up front and centre as we launched this year’s Monty Lit Fest
programme last weekend.
With our something-for-everyone programming philosophy firmly in mind, we marked the launch with
another brilliant quiz from our resident quizmaster, Marcus Berkmann. Then we followed up with a
celebration of another thing we’re famous for: cake, glorious cake at a Montgomery coffee morning
where people could also buy books, browse the 2026 programme and even be some the first people
to buy tickets for this year’s Festival.
So, the run-up to the weekend of June 12th -14th starts now! As you’re on the website, take a look at the programme and start choosing.
We have another line-up of brilliant authors, showcasing a wide range of books and topics: Cool
Cymru to collecting seeds; a royal insider to redemption; contested countryside to crime. Lost history
and looking ahead. Fiction, short stories and poetry. Rivers, hedges, healing and an explosion of
colour and joy from two artistic icons.
And we’re delighted that our Jill Kibble Monty Mini Fest will be back, with stories and fun for children
of all ages.
We look forward to welcoming you in June.
Tickets are available online and in person at The Montgomery Bookshop and Ivy House Café in
Montgomery.