The London Book Fair (LBF) has concluded its third and final day as publishers, authors, writers and readers from over 130 countries gathered for the 47th Fair.

Jacks Thomas, Director, The London Book Fair, said: “This year’s London Book Fair was buzzing, surely a great reflection of the publishing industry! A number of hugely exciting rights deals have been struck across all media, and the talks and seminars have been standing-room only. We’re extremely grateful to everyone who has made this year’s Fair such a success, in particular the Market Focus Baltic Countries for curating a diverse program that reflects the distinct literary and publishing traditions of three great nations, and all of our wonderful Authors of the Day. We are already looking forward to LBF 2019 and are excited to hand the Market Focus baton over to Indonesia.”

Highlights from Day Three of the Fair:

Dame Jacqueline Wilson popped up at both Author HQ and the English PEN Literary Salon to talk about her award-winning, best-selling literary career. Wilson’s books have sold more than 40 million copies in the U.K. alone and her works have been translated into 34 different languages. Wilson recommended that budding authors look for the gap in the market by thinking up a unique subject then researching what else has been written on the topic.

The winners of The London Book Fair’s first ever UK Book Blog Awards were announced on Thursday with book bloggers recognised across three categories: Book Blogger (won by The Literary Edit), Bookstagrammer (won by @theguywiththebook), and BookTuber (won by Reads & Daydreams).

Michele Sagan was the winner of The Write Stuff, a Dragon’s Den-style panel event that saw authors pitch their books to a panel of literary agents for the chance to win a follow-up meeting with an agent. Sagan won for her book, A Coffin Full of Lies, a psychological thriller about the dignity of death, and how far we are willing to go for the one’s we love.

Lauren Child announced that the call for entries to the Lauren Child Poetry Illustration Prize has been extended to 1 June 2018. The prize is aimed at for 18 to 25 year olds and the winner will receive £1,000, as well as support to kick-start their career in illustration.

Festivals Unbound examined how to build the literary festivals of the future. “Britain’s changing place in the world is reflected in festivals”, said Nick Barley, Director, Edinburgh International Book Festival. “We need to look beyond the U.K. for our ideas, and beyond the English language”.

BookExpo gave insights on how to “make it” in the American publishing market, emphasising the importance of understanding the regionality of the US book market, translating content into American English, and investing heavily in PR and marketing.

Amy Sackville met with comic-book artist David Hahn to discuss her career as an author and creative writing teacher at the University of Kent.

Scores of rights deals were secured at The London Book Fair, including:

• Harpercollins has bought world rights to world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua’s memoir Fight.
• World English rights to publish Spice Girl Mel B’s ‘explosive and moving’ memoir Brutally Honest have been bought by Hardie Grant.
• Pan Macmillan has signed a three-novel, seven-figure deal for Peter James’s bestselling detective Superintendent Roy Grace series.
• William Collins has signed a “significant deal” for a new edition of Sir David Attenborough’s Life on Earth.
• Award-winning children’s author Kiran Millwood Hargrave’s first adult fiction has been bought by Picador for a six-figure sum after a 13-publisher auction
• Benedict Cumberbatch’s production company SunnyMarch has pre-empted the TV rights to Ambrose Parry’s new novel The Way of All Flesh, the first in a new historical series set in the medical world of Edinburgh in the 1840s
• Children’s Usborne has acquired the UK and Commonwealth rights to Namina Forna’s Deathless, a debut young-adult fantasy inspired by the author’s experience of the Sierra Leone civil war.
• Headline has signed world rights to TV presenter Mel Giedroyc’s debut The Best Things.
• W H Allen have bought rights for Malala Yousafzai’s father for What Love Teaches Me. The book will publish in November.
• Sphere has acquired the exclusive world English-language publishing licence for ‘The Great British Bake Off’