The London Book Fair announces Japan as Market Focus country for 2027, amidst other exciting news
Programme of authors & events coordinated by the Japan Book Publishers Association
More conferences taking place at Excel, on the Monday before LBF
Seminar submissions now open, with entrants encouraged to indicate specific stage for their session
London, Thursday 25 June 2026
During an International Media Briefing today, The London Book Fair (LBF), the world’s largest spring book trade event, has announced the return of the Market Focus programme, and Japan as the appointed country for 2027. The news comes as the Fair has unveiled more exciting programming news for next year.
From the huge manga market to self-help books, runaway bestselling novels like Butter to cosy fiction, Japanese writers continue to dominate the translated book charts in the UK. In 2025, the top seven translated authors in the UK all hailed from Japan, as well as 24 of the Top 50, according to data from NielsenIQ BookScan (source: The Bookseller).
The LBF Market Focus, back for the first time since 2022, will see the involvement of the Japan Book Publishers Association as a key partner, with more initiatives to be announced in due course.
Taking place between 16 – 18 March 2027 at Excel London, the next edition of The London Book Fair will benefit from more space to grow and expand its international offering and overall content.
Together with the return of Market Focus, Fair Director Emma Lowe announced a number of conferences will take place at Excel London on Monday 15 March 2027, ahead of the Fair. The rich line-up will include The Writers’ Summit, the popular gathering of writers who are interested in understanding more about the industry, a training session organised by the IPG and HP ConTEXT, a conference focusing on book production.
Finally, the Fair is today opening submissions to their Seminar Programme. This year, the organisers are encouraging entrants to specify on which stage they’d like their session to appear – choosing from Main Stage, Tech Theatre, Author HQ, Literary Translation Theatre, First Timers’ Hub, The Salon (formerly English PEN), Market Focus Theatre, Audio Theatre, and Sustainability Hub. More information is available at this link.
Yoshiaki Yoshino, International Affairs and Promotion Manager at Japan Book Publishers Association, said: “We are deeply honoured to be invited as the Market Focus Country, following the last market focus event in 2022. In recent years, Japanese authors have gained increasing recognition in the UK market, and building on this momentum, we are excited to introduce an even broader and more diverse range of Japanese publishing genres and storytelling, showcasing a wide variety of publishers and titles. We are very much looking forward to building new connections and strengthening relationships with colleagues from across the international publishing community.
While Japan continues to expand its global presence, we approach this opportunity with humility and a strong desire to understand, collaborate, and grow. We hope this programme will inspire the next generation of creators, editors, and readers by demonstrating that publishing is a truly creative and dynamic industry. We look forward to sharing the excitement, innovation, and diversity of Japanese publishing with everyone at The London Book Fair 2027.
Bridget Shine, Chief Executive of the Independent Publishers Guild (IPG), said: “We’re delighted to bring our award-winning AI training to The London Book Fair in 2027. The IPG and LBF share the desire to help publishing professionals adapt to change and deepen their knowledge, so Excel is the perfect platform for this development. Our session will be the ideal way for attendees to start their Book Fair and gather the insights and practical skills they need to thrive.”
Yale Goldis, Head of Strategy at HP PageWide Industrial, said: “HP ConTEXT brings the book production community together with publishers, manufacturers, service providers, and associations to tackle real operational challenges affecting the book industry. Collaborating with The London Book Fair is a natural evolution, and I look forward to expanding its impact and continuing to grow as a hub for meaningful, global dialogue.”
Emma Lowe, Director of The London Book Fair, said: “We’re over the moon to bring back the Market Focus Programme in 2027. What’s not to like about Japan? It’s the hottest literature in translation right now, spanning the whole range of book genres – from fiction to self-help, to best-in-class manga. It also feels like Asian culture is not limited to books: it is taking over our high streets, and we’re all the richer for it! Alongside this big news, we’re thrilled to be hosting The Writers’ Summit, plus the IPG training and HP ConTEXT, at LBF on Day 0. With this, it won’t be an understatement to say that LBF will really start on Monday.
These are only a couple of the new additions to our Seminar Programme that the new venue of Excel will allow us to offer. We’re excited to be able to deliver fresh, improved content and a more international outlook at the 2027 Fair. Stay tuned for more updates from LBF: this is only the beginning!”
The London Book Fair (LBF) is the world’s largest spring book trade and publishing event and will take place at Excel London from 16 – 18 March 2027. Registration will open in November, and more information is available here.
The London Book Fair
16 – 18 March 2027
Excel London
www.londonbookfair.co.uk
For further information, please contact:
Anna Zanetti Anna.Zanetti@midas-group.com
or Amelia Knight Amelia.Knight@midas-group.com