Numerous book fairs and festivals typically scheduled for the month of March have either been canceled, such as the Leipzig Book Fair—the second-largest book event in Germany—or moved, as in the case of FILBo, the book fair held in Bogota, Colombia, which will be held as a virtual event planned for August 6–22.
Last month, U.K. prime minister Boris Johnson gave hope that the London Book Fair, scheduled June 29–July 1, might be held in person when he announced that the country will end restrictions. This morning, LBF director Andy Ventris sent a message saying the fair is "reviewing the published guidelines and seeking greater clarity on what the roadmap towards permitting live events and international travel will mean for LBF 2021." Ventris said that while LBF is encouraged "to see light at the end of the tunnel, we are also continuing to plan for all scenarios to ensure we are able to best support the industry at this time."
Ventris promised that a final decision on what form LBF 2021 will take will be made by the end of March.
One event that made a successful transfer to a virtual format was India’s Jaipur Literature Festival, with over 50,000 people from across the world registering for the event, according to a press release. The festival, which ran February 19–28, hosted a total of 180 sessions and performances, with 450 speakers and performers from more than 20 countries. Among the speakers this year were Bill Gates, Jonathan Safran Foer, George Packer, and Malala Yousafzai.
