London Book Fair 2026: a last year at Olympia and an authors' protest over AI
The London Book Fair ran from 10 to 12 March 2026, its last year at Olympia before a move to ExCeL, as authors protested over AI training.
The London Book Fair was held at Olympia London from 10 to 12 March 2026, the last edition at that venue before a move to ExCeL in the Docklands in 2027. The fair's director, Emma Lowe, told Publishers Weekly that it had 1,005 exhibitors and more than 33,000 visitors.
Publishers Weekly reported an energetic mood on the floor, with publishers looking for uplifting books and noting growing demand for translated fiction. Artificial intelligence was again the most contested subject, including its effects on audiobooks and on translation work.
During the fair, authors distributed Don't Steal This Book, a volume containing only the names of thousands of writers, followed by blank pages. Organised by the campaigner Ed Newton-Rex, it protested against the UK government's proposal to let AI companies train on copyrighted work unless rights holders opt out. Euronews listed Kazuo Ishiguro, Richard Osman, Malorie Blackman, Philippa Gregory and Mick Herron among the names.
The move to ExCeL is mainly a matter for exhibitors. The copyright question is not. How the government settles the treatment of books used to train AI models will affect every author's rights and income, and anyone with a book in print has reason to follow the consultation and to read the relevant clauses in their contracts.
Sources: Publishers Weekly: LBF 2026, a 'buzzy and busy' fair; Euronews: Authors protest AI at London Book Fair with 'empty' book.