The world's best book fairs and festivals

A free, public festival celebrating the written word, the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books is the largest book festival in the United States, drawing approximately 150,000 attendees annually. Hosted as it is in the entertainment capital of the world, the festival attracts its fair share of celebrity authors.

7 / 29 Fotos

Los Angeles Times Festival of Books -

Besides writers, the festival features publishers and vendors introduced through a series of panel discussions, workshops, and public readings. There's also storytelling, and performances for children, as well as the Los Angeles Times book prize ceremony.

8 / 29 Fotos

London Book Fair -

The London Book Fair was inaugurated in 1971. It's a trade fair that serves as a global hub for rights negotiation and the sale and distribution of content across print, audio, TV, film, and digital channels.

9 / 29 Fotos

London Book Fair -

Held annually, usually in April, the fair is not open to the public. It's instead organized for the publishing community and industry professionals.

10 / 29 Fotos

Abu Dhabi International Book Fair -

Established in 2007 in association with the Frankfurt Book Fair, the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair is a relatively new addition among the big book fairs in the literary calendar.

11 / 29 Fotos

Abu Dhabi International Book Fair -

The fair provides a platform where publishers, booksellers, agents, cultural organizations, and the literary press can meet, exchange ideas, and identify business opportunities, and is regarded as the preeminent event for Arabic language, Middle Eastern, and North African publishers. The fair takes place in April-May.

12 / 29 Fotos

Guadalajara International Book Fair -

The Guadalajara International Book Fair is the largest book fair in the Americas and the principal event for Spanish-language publishing.

13 / 29 Fotos

Guadalajara International Book Fair -

The fair takes place annually, usually in late November and early December. Besides its function as a major meeting place for publishers and book industry professionals, the fair attracts a reading public keen to meet authors and attend book signings.

14 / 29 Fotos

Hong Kong Book Fair -

Usually held in the middle of July, the Hong Kong Book Fair provides a broad platform for the selling and exhibiting of books, printed matter, stationery, printing, and other multimedia publishing.

15 / 29 Fotos

Hong Kong Book Fair -

While print media remains its core exhibit, the fair has also garnered a reputation for showcasing the latest technological and multimedia innovations. To that end, visitors can engage with numerous high-tech interactive displays.

16 / 29 Fotos

Gothenburg Book Fair -

Sweden's premier book fair is actually the largest literary festival in Scandinavia.

17 / 29 Fotos

Gothenburg Book Fair -

An annual event held in Gothenburg since 1985, the fair usually takes place in the last week of September and draws around 100,000 visitors and 900 exhibitors.

18 / 29 Fotos

Firsts: London's Rare Book Fair -

Held annually in May at the Saatchi Gallery, the Firsts: London's Rare Book Fair is one of the most popular and prestigious rare book fairs in the world.

19 / 29 Fotos

Firsts: London's Rare Book Fair -

Open to collectors and bibliophiles who love browsing secondhand classics, this highly respected fair is in fact the annual flagship event of the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association.

20 / 29 Fotos

New Delhi World Book Fair -

The New Delhi World Book Fair is India's second oldest book fair after the Kolkata Book Fair. Held either in February or March, big name authors, including Surendra Mohan Pathak, are regularly hosted at this hugely popular event.

21 / 29 Fotos

New Delhi World Book Fair -

The fair is well respected for promoting national readership policies, and also supports the growing markets of neighboring countries. Kids are especially welcome, with youngsters having their own Children's Pavilion, which promotes children's literature and the national Readers Club movement.

22 / 29 Fotos

Buenos Aires International Book Fair -

Held every April in the Argentinian capital, the Buenos Aires International Book Fair is one of the top five literary-themed expos in the world.

23 / 29 Fotos

Buenos Aires International Book Fair -

The fair is orientated towards the literary community but also welcomes the general public, attracting many thousands of book lovers over its three-week duration.

24 / 29 Fotos

Edinburgh International Book Festival -

Every August, Edinburgh hosts its international book festival. The event is billed as "the world-leading festival of words, literature, and ideas."

25 / 29 Fotos

Edinburgh International Book Festival -

Throughout the years, the festival has drawn a litany of celebrated wordsmiths and VIP authors. In 2008, Sean Connery used the event to launch his long-awaited memoir.

26 / 29 Fotos

Bologna Children's Book Fair -

The Bologna Children's Book Fair is the leading professional fair for children's books in the world. It's held annually for four days in March or April in Bologna, Italy.

27 / 29 Fotos

Bologna Children's Book Fair -

The fair was canceled in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and is yet to fully reopen, at least physically. However, the organizers are said to be creating a digital platform to fulfill the fair's main purpose: the international sale of rights and other publishing agreements.

Sources: (Susan Mears Agency) (TCK Publishing)

28 / 29 Fotos

Getty Images

0 / 29 Fotos

Frankfurt Book Fair -

The Frankfurt Book Fair is the world's largest trade fair for books based on the number of exhibitors. It's held annually, in mid-October.

Getty Images

1 / 29 Fotos

Frankfurt Book Fair -

Getty Images

2 / 29 Fotos

Hay Festival of Literature & Arts -

An annual event held in Hay-on-Wye, Wales, the Hay Festival of Literature & Arts is one of the most prominent festivals in British culture.

3 / 29 Fotos

Hay Festival of Literature & Arts -

Founded in 1988 and held in May and June, the Hay Festival regularly features well-known writers, authors, journalists, and other media celebrities.

Getty Images

4 / 29 Fotos

International Kolkata Book Fair -

The International Kolkata Book Fair is the world's largest non-trade book fair, Asia's largest book fair, and the region's most attended literary-themed event.

Shutterstock

5 / 29 Fotos

International Kolkata Book Fair -

The fair takes place in the winter months, either January or February, and regularly attracts over two million visitors.

Shutterstock

6 / 29 Fotos

Los Angeles Times Festival of Books -

Getty Images

7 / 29 Fotos

Los Angeles Times Festival of Books -

Getty Images

8 / 29 Fotos

London Book Fair -

Getty Images

9 / 29 Fotos

London Book Fair -

Held annually, usually in April, the fair is not open to the public. It's instead organized for the publishing community and industry professionals.

Getty Images

10 / 29 Fotos

Abu Dhabi International Book Fair -

Established in 2007 in association with the Frankfurt Book Fair, the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair is a relatively new addition among the big book fairs in the literary calendar.

Getty Images

11 / 29 Fotos

Abu Dhabi International Book Fair -

Getty Images

12 / 29 Fotos

Guadalajara International Book Fair -

The Guadalajara International Book Fair is the largest book fair in the Americas and the principal event for Spanish-language publishing.

Getty Images

13 / 29 Fotos

Guadalajara International Book Fair -

Getty Images

14 / 29 Fotos

Hong Kong Book Fair -

Usually held in the middle of July, the Hong Kong Book Fair provides a broad platform for the selling and exhibiting of books, printed matter, stationery, printing, and other multimedia publishing.

Getty Images

15 / 29 Fotos

Hong Kong Book Fair -

Getty Images

16 / 29 Fotos

Gothenburg Book Fair -

Sweden's premier book fair is actually the largest literary festival in Scandinavia.

Getty Images

17 / 29 Fotos

Gothenburg Book Fair -

An annual event held in Gothenburg since 1985, the fair usually takes place in the last week of September and draws around 100,000 visitors and 900 exhibitors.

Getty Images

18 / 29 Fotos

Firsts: London's Rare Book Fair -

Held annually in May at the Saatchi Gallery, the Firsts: London's Rare Book Fair is one of the most popular and prestigious rare book fairs in the world.

Getty Images

19 / 29 Fotos

Firsts: London's Rare Book Fair -

Open to collectors and bibliophiles who love browsing secondhand classics, this highly respected fair is in fact the annual flagship event of the Antiquarian Booksellers' Association.

Getty Images

20 / 29 Fotos

New Delhi World Book Fair -

Getty Images

21 / 29 Fotos

New Delhi World Book Fair -

Getty Images

22 / 29 Fotos

Buenos Aires International Book Fair -

Held every April in the Argentinian capital, the Buenos Aires International Book Fair is one of the top five literary-themed expos in the world.

Getty Images

23 / 29 Fotos

Buenos Aires International Book Fair -

The fair is orientated towards the literary community but also welcomes the general public, attracting many thousands of book lovers over its three-week duration.

Shutterstock

24 / 29 Fotos

Edinburgh International Book Festival -

Every August, Edinburgh hosts its international book festival. The event is billed as "the world-leading festival of words, literature, and ideas."

Getty Images

25 / 29 Fotos

Edinburgh International Book Festival -

Throughout the years, the festival has drawn a litany of celebrated wordsmiths and VIP authors. In 2008, Sean Connery used the event to launch his long-awaited memoir.

NL Beeld

26 / 29 Fotos

Bologna Children's Book Fair -

The Bologna Children's Book Fair is the leading professional fair for children's books in the world. It's held annually for four days in March or April in Bologna, Italy.

NL Beeld

27 / 29 Fotos

Bologna Children's Book Fair -

Sources: (Susan Mears Agency) (TCK Publishing)

NL Beeld

28 / 29 Fotos

The world's best book fairs and festivals

The annual literary events every book lover should attend

22/10/24 | StarsInsider

LIFESTYLE Literature

In this age of the mobile device, it's reassuring to know that there are still major events dedicated to promoting books. Around the world, annual book fairs and festivals attract thousands who love the printed word. And enjoying a good page-turner by a favorite author is as inspiring, entertaining, and educative as it's ever been. So, where can you browse the best book fairs and festivals?

Click on and read through this list of the most popular literary-themed events.