One of the most important events in the PBFA’s calendar, the two-day York National Book Fair, cancelled last year for the first time in its 47-year history, is back to entice eager bibliophiles on Friday and Saturday, September 10-11.
Organiser Janette Ray, who owns a bookshop in the city, said 175 stand bookings have been made – 50 down on the last fair, with international dealers not exhibiting because of travel bans and quarantine relating to Covid.
A few British dealers who were planning to exhibit at the now cancelled New York Book Fair have recently booked for this ‘Old’ York event, however.
“In the shop, there has been quite a strong take-up of paper tickets and plenty of downloaded tickets from the fair’s website”, added Ray. “While there are cautious dealers who are not exhibiting because of Covid and similarly nervous book buyers, we are optimistic the fair will work well.
“Lots of people are keen to be part of face-to-face dealing rather than the remote online approach. How many people will come? Hopefully, numbers will be similar to other years at 1000 a day.”
