The term ‘book fair’ covers a wide range of events, from Frankfurt, the leading international trade show for members of the book industry, which includes multiple discussion forums as well as a vast exhibition space; to fairs such as Kolkata, a remarkable open-air show attended by over two million members of the public, where whole families come to buy books that might not otherwise be available in the local market. In recent years Kolkata has added an element of literary festival by including author events, an addition other fairs have also made. The trade fairs are often open to the public too at certain times, and may like Kolkata include retail sales.
London in the northern hemisphere spring, and Frankfurt in the autumn, are the two principal global trade fairs. Bologna is the most important for children’s publishers, and Shanghai Children’s Book Fair attracts a widening range of international exhibitors and visitors.
The two most significant trade fairs in Asia are Beijing and New Delhi, both of which are also prominent events for the book-buying public. In the Middle East the long-established Cairo fair leads the field together with Sharjah and Abu Dhabi.
Guadalajara is a fair not just for Mexico but for the whole Central and South America region.
Abu Dhabi International Book Fair
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Beijing International Book Fair
Beijing, China
Belgrade International Book Fair
Belgrade, Serbia
Biennal do Livro de São Paulo
Sao Paulo, Brazil
Bologna Children’s Book Fair / Bologna Book Plus
Bologna, Italy
BookWorld Prague
Prague, Czech Republic
Bookfest Romania
Bucharest, Romania
Budapest International Book Festival
Budapest, Hungary
Buenos Aires Book Fair
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Cairo International Book Fair
Cairo, Egypt
Frankfurt Book Fair
Frankfurt, Germany
Ghana International Book Fair
Accra, Ghana
Gothenburg Book Fair
Gothenburg, Sweden
Guadalajara Book Fair
Guadalajara, Mexico
Hong Kong International Book Fair
Hong Kong
Kolkata Book Fair
Kolkata, India
Latvian Book Fair
Riga, Latvia
Leipziger Buchmesse
Leipzig, Germany
Liber International Book Fair
Madrid and Barcelona (alternate years), Spain
London Book Fair
London, UK
Moscow International Book Fair
Moscow, Russia
Moscow Non-Fiction Book Fair
Moscow, Russia
Nairobi International Book Fair
Nairobi, Kenya
New Delhi World Book Fair
New Delhi, India
Nigeria International Book Fair
Lagos, Nigeria
Riyadh International Book Fair
Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
Salon Du Livre
Paris, France
Salon du Livre de Montréal
Montréal, Canada
Salone Internazionale del Libro – Torino
Turin, Italy
Seoul International Book Fair
Seoul, S. Korea
Shanghai Children’s Book Fair
Shanghai, China
Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival
Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
Sharjah International Book Fair
Sharjah, United Arab Emirates
South African Book Fair
Johannesburg, South Africa
Taipei International Book Exhibition
Taipei, Taiwan
Thessaloniki Book Fair
Thessaloniki, Greece
US Book Show (presented by Publishers Weekly)
(online at present)
Warsaw International Book Fair
Warsaw, Poland
