Readers, it has been an age since I posted a blog but I am back with my round up of a bookish extravaganza that took place at Waterstones Piccadilly 16 - 17 August 2023.
The second edition of Bookfest at Waterstones Piccadilly took place last week, with two days of bookish goodies, author signings, panels, giveaways and general book loving fun. I missed the first Bookfest last year, so was determined to attend this second edition, and it did not disappoint!
Waterstones Piccadilly is without doubt my favourite bookshop in London, and is also the largest bookshop in Europe. I’m used to it being fairly busy, but the atmosphere on each floor was like I’d never experienced before, everywhere just seemed to be abuzz with excitement! Publishers had stalls across different floors providing visitors with a chance to pick up proofs, bookmarks, badges, artwork, stickers, and to generally have space to talk about forthcoming new books to look out for. I really enjoyed the opportunity to engage one on one with colleagues representing some of my go to imprints like Merky Books, Vintage and Harper Voyager.
Authors also joined their publishers for informal signings at the stands, and this was a highlight for me, with opportunities to have books personalised, but also stop and discuss with the masterminds and genuinely lovely humans who brought them to us. I had a great chat with Sarah Underwood author of Lies We Sing To The Sea, about her next book (which she is currently busy writing), and the impressive production line method she developed for signing pages at speed (1000 an hour!) check out her Instagram reel for more on this.
I was so excited to meet Saara El-Arifi author of The Final Strife, The Battledrum and forthcoming Faebound, Taylor-Dior Rumble, author of The Situationship - a book I have literally been waiting for all year - and Aleema Omotoni author of new YA fiction book Everyone’s Thinking It . I also had the honour of being the first reader Aleema had signed a book for!
Armed with four canvas bags of goodies, I decided it was time to retreat home, namely because I hadn’t realised I’d been walking around for more than four hours without so much as a drink of water, and I wanted to regroup in time to join the stream for Chloe Gong’s panel discussing Immortal Longings.
Day Two was House of YA x Bookfest, and for me a chance to attend some of the author panels, each chaired by a Booktoker, which I felt was a nice touch.
Firstly In My Lover Era: Romance to make you swoon, with Beth Reekles, Marie Lu and Jenny Ireland chaired by Sam of @SamFallingBooks.The discussion was great covering topics like author input into their cover choices, writing tips and their writing processes and methods to structure their stories as they build characters, romance and plot.
After a quick browse of the shops floor to earmark my planned purchases for a next visit, it was time for the second panel, Fantasy Glow-Ups: Reimaginings that hit different. Lauren from @laurens.little.library chaired, and Bea Fitzgerald Kika Hatzopoulou and Natasha Bowen on the panel. Again fab discussions but I particularly loved the points raised on the need for female main characters to have agency and the need to diversify the stories we choose to retell, as there is often a default to Greek mythology, but there are so many other stories to be told when we consider African and other mythological tales as well.
All in all, I came away from the two days on a bookish high and armed with twelve…yes twelve new books (if you’re judging this number you may be on the wrong website my friend).
Absolutely loved this event and can’t wait for next year’s! Check the Gram and TikTok for reels and my Book Haul.
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