What is OXIB?
The National Independent Publishing Event
Established 2020
There are 2 OXiB events for 2026 and they’re both FREE to visitors.
- Summer Book Fair
Sunday 12th – July 11am-4pm
Magdalen College School OX4 1DZ - Autumn Book Fair
Sunday 22nd November – 11am-4.30pm
Oxford Exams Schools OX1 4BG
Both fairs bring together the book-buying public and the burgeoning independent creative community of small publishers & presses, established and un-agented authors, poets, writing groups, and self-published writers. A meeting place as much as a marketplace, OXIB offers a superb space for conversation, collaboration, and inspiration. Visitors can meet authors face-to-face, attend talks and readings, and hear the stories behind the stories – all FOR FREE.
OXIB offers a welcoming, inclusive atmosphere where independent and alternative voices take centre stage.
Join us and discover your next favourite book.
Table 23
Lou Gibbons
Author
Born in Manchester, Lou Gibbons now lives in the south of France. A corporate content creator by day, she writes quirky uplifting fiction by night. She has published two novels: The World Happiness Organisation (2024) and Tuesday (2025).
Table 42
Nick Cennamo-Smith
Author, Fantasy & Sci-Fi
Nick Cennamo-Smith is the author of the Mortzeel’s Lost & Found crime-fantasy series, as well as other standalone titles.
The latest installment of his whimsical and chaotic series, The Blade of Qalkar, will be releasing in August 2026.
Table 57
Steve Sheppard
Author
Steve has spent his life trying to discover the secret of how to become a fully-functioning adult. He has so far failed. One thing he has learnt is that he ought to have tried writing a book forty years earlier than he did, although he also now realises that he should have become a celebrity first, as this would have made selling it much easier.
He currently has three comedy spy thrillers to his name, all published by Claret Press: A Very Important Teapot, set in Australia; Bored to Death in the Baltics, not set in Australia; and Poor Table Manners, which takes place in Cape Town. These feature an initially fairly hapless hero, Dawson, and a considerably less hapless heroine, Lucy, together with varied supporting casts, most of whom are not who they claim to be.
In 2025, Steve also released into the world a comedy-murder-mystery, Lazytown, set in an eccentric Oxfordshire village. And, in a departure from comedy, a UK based thriller, False Connections, featuring ex-MI5 agent, Mel Milano, may well be out before the summer book fair. This could be the first of a new series, although Dawson and Lucy are also planning another outing at some point.
Table 15
Diana Bell
Artist
Diana is a multi media artist using installation, sculpture and painting. She has been commissioned for six public sculptures in Oxford and has won awards for her sculpture and her work in hospital. She has exhibited widely in the UK and Europe including Grenoble, Bonn, Leiden, Padua, Greece and Romania, also Perm and Sydney. Diana has published four books of paintings and poetry the most recent titled ‘That’s Life, Let’s Face It’.
Table 28
Timothy Adès
Author, Book Store
Timothy Adès is a prolific rhyming translator-poet with eleven books from French, German, Spanish, and awards for translating Victor Hugo, Robert Desnos, Jean Cassou, and Alfonso Reyes. His book of Shakespeare’s 154 sonnets includes his translations into Inglish, with no letter E, on the facing page. His bookstall offers, also, many poetry books by other translators: many languages, mostly bilingual books, some beautifully illustrated. He is a trustee of Agenda, the great poetry magazine. He is on Facebook and YouTube. He will be speaking for ten minutes, presenting poems which he has translated from other tongues.
Table 12
Josie Jaffrey
Audio Books, Author, Fantasy & Sci-Fi, Horror & Paranormal, Publisher, Romance
Josie Jaffrey is an Oxford-based indie author who writes about lost worlds, dystopian societies and morally-ambiguous monsters (vampires are her favourite). She has published multiple novels and short stories. Most of those are set in the Silverse, an apocalyptic world filled with vampires and zombies.
Josie is the founding editor of indie fantasy magazine Indie Bites and the writer of the urban fantasy podcast Jack Valentine, Vampire Detective.
What's happening on the day?
Free Talks & Poetry Slam Programme
Throughout the day we have a packed schedule full of exciting and informative sessions for all attendees.
Join us on Sunday July 12, thanks to The Oxford Festival of the Arts, and discover your next favourite book in the ‘Big School – the main hall of Magdalen College School: entrance Cowley Place just off The Plain.
But that isn’t all. Off the High Street approaching Magdalen Bridge is an entrance to the Rose Garden Gazebo/Bar where you can listen to poetry organised by The Oxford Poetry Circle.
In the Junior School Hall, to the left of the Gazebo, there will be speaker events. In the case of bad weather some of the poetry will take place there too.
Where to find us
The Venue
Contact
Magdalen College School
Cowley Place, Oxford, OX4 1DZ
Directions
By Car: The M40, M4 and A34 provide easy access to Oxford from London and the south. The M40 links Birmingham to Oxford from the north. The A420 and A40 approach Oxford from the west.
Parking: We are unable to offer parking for Festival events. Parking in Oxford city centre is limited. Visitors are advised to use one of the five Park & Ride systems, which are all clearly signposted from the Oxford Ring Road. The nearest car park to MCS is at St Clement’s Street, OX4 1AB.
By Bus: Oxford has an extensive network of local buses, making it easy to visit the town centre from every direction. The main Festival site is a short 5-10 minute walk from central bus stops. The closest bus stops are The Plain (Cowley Road) and St Clement’s. There are also fast and frequent bus services from central London (closest stop St Clement’s).
By Train: Oxford has a centrally located train station with frequent and direct train services from London and Reading, as well as from Birmingham via Banbury and Coventry. Oxford Parkway station, north of the city, serves London Marylebone. The main Festival site is a 25-minute walk from the station.
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