Monday is always a bit manic, everyone rushing around trying to get the bearings, rush to meetings and gawp at the impressive HarperCollins and Little Brown stands. Amazingly there’s still a shaking of heads and muttering about ‘that awful Excel fiasco’ when the fair was moved to east London for one year’s fair. You’d have thought we would have let it go by now but it appears not!

Mostly though, it was buzzy as usual. My last meeting at 5:30 was particularly memorable. By that time of the day my handwriting was becoming illegible, my feet were hurting and my staple supply was running low. So when the charming Clare Drysdale and Wenona Byrne from Allen & Unwin (from whom we bought the brilliant One Foot Wrong) welcomed me to their table with wide smiles and violet crumbles (Australian confection –  sooooo good), my waning energy got a much-needed boost.

It was great to meet some new people and meet the faces behind the emails. Everyone in publishing is so passionate about their jobs and the Fair really brings out this enthusiasm and reminds me why I love my job so much.

There are some fabulous books out there and I’m very excited to see what comes out of our meetings. Watch this space…

Lara Crisp, Managing Editor