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History of the Oxford Indie Book Fair
The Book Fair Archives
Take a look back at the events of past book fairs and galleries of photos..
The Oxford Indie Book Fair: How Did It All Begin?
Andy Severn, the CEO of Oxford eBooks, decided that a book fair in Kennington Village Centre was an idea worth trying. His aim—a fun way to sell books before Christmas and to provide a showcase for successful but small publishing businesses. He told fellow Kennington resident, the author and chair of the Friends of Kennington Library, Sylvia Vetta about his idea. She told her author friend Ray Foulk. Sylvia had met Ray on a screen writing course and discovered that, among other things; he was a founder of the Isle of Wight Festival and as a young man had ‘stolen Dylan from Woodstock’. As feature writer on The Oxford Times she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to cast him away on her mythical island of Oxtopia. The castaway series lasted for ten years and James Harrison of Oxfordfolio published her articles in two anthologies. James has a lifetime of editorial experience in the publishing industry. James, Ray and Sylvia had stands at the little fair and decided that Andy was on to something. So Sylvia invited them to supper to discuss the future: and the future was an Oxford independent book fair (not an Oxford literary festival).
There was unanimity on the ethos. Stands should be affordable to new authors, entry to the fairs should be free, families should feel welcome and every one of every background, be they exhibitor or visitor, should feel part of the OXIB family. But where could we hold the first fair? The University Examination Schools and the Town Hall were prohibitively expensive so we chose the Wesley Memorial Hall in New Inn Hall Street. We approached authors, small publishers, micro presses and printers we knew and particularly targeted writers of every age and colour. Andy set up the website with entry open to exhibitors from everywhere. There was soon a waiting list—the seed was about to develop into a sapling only to be threatened with extinction! Promotion of the first event in April 2020 was going well … yes that’s right April 2020…
Like everything else it had to be cancelled because of Covid.
Although Wesley Mem couldn’t refund the hire charges, they guaranteed an event in the future. As Covid dragged on, the date kept being pushed into the future. How could we sustain interest in OXIB? The answer was four seasonal editions of a high quality online magazine using articles from ‘exhibitors’. We knew we had tapped into local talent and that talent could turn into inspirational speakers. (We hope to put the magazines back on the new website sometime next year).
Our first book fair took place on April 2, 2021. We were living in uncertain times because Covid had not gone away. Exhibitors wore masks and windows were open. Would punters be brave enough to come? Three hundred came through the door and enjoyed themselves (somewhat nervously) and the event was modest success.
By the second fair that year on November 26, the atmosphere had changed and the exhibitors knew they were going to have a good time. Networks, like the fungi beavering away beneath the trees, had been growing between them and on the website. Four hundred visitors came, many for the second time knowing they would meet writers, illustrators, independent publishers, printers and booksellers who loved to talk to them and they would find books to interest everyone. They could enjoy talks by inspirational speakers and access to them was free and the speakers were on tap afterwards to chat.
And the organisers had certainly had tapped into a need.
Felicity Dick, a Deputy Lieutenant of Oxfordshire, was like Ray, one of Sylvia’s Oxtopian castaways. We decided to have an official opening of the next fair and invite Felicity to cut the ribbon and speak.
On Nov 24 2022 Felicity duly opened the third fair and loved it. She offered to join the committee and brought with her the experienced event organiser, Shona Nicolson. The four had become six and, thanks to Felicity and the support of the Lucy Group and other sponsors, including Annie Sloan and Novel Entertainment, OXIB could continue to grow.
We were also supported by The Oxford Festival of the Arts, whose director Dr Michelle Castiletti invited us to participate in their community event in July 2023. She liked our contribution so generously she gave us our own event in the 2024 festival. The July 2024 fair cemented the friendly and cheerful vibe visitors feel as they walk into an OXIB fair.
Our Fourth Oxford Indie Book Fair (OXIB) on Sunday November 26, 2024 doubled in size. We were able to do that by moving to the University Examination Schools on the High. It’s a magnificent building not usually open to the public. Professor Irene Tracey who had recently become the new Vice-chancellor of the University of Oxford, opened the fair and stayed to enjoy the experience.
The declared aim of OXIB is to be free entry so that no one is excluded and Irene Tracey was brought up locally in Kidlington and went to Gosford Hill Comprehensive School—the first state-educated VC. She’s keen to promote the university as an inclusive place and to connect to Town and County as well as Gown, just as OXIB aims to do.
We have also developed links with the city’s other university, Oxford Brookes. Niall Munroe, the director of Oxford Brookes poetry Centre and CEO of Ignition Press has supported OXIB from the beginning and organised many mind expanding poetry slams and open mikes for us.
Our sixth book fair, will once again double in size as we are hiring both halls in the Examination Schools and the Chancellor of Oxford Brookes University, Paterson Joseph will open it As a teenager, Paterson had the humiliating experience of being written off but has gone on to have a glittering career as an actor and author. Like many under privileged young people, access to books particularly through libraries is what opened the doors to opportunity.
The organisers of OXIB hope our exhibitors and visitors will foster that access to the world of adventure and ideas for EVERYONE!
We love books: they are friends for life and provide fun and escape as well as education. Our aim is for OXIB to provide a platform and showcase for published authors who don’t have the heavyweight shoe-in of agents and marketing departments but have a story to tell, and for the event to become a familiar and welcome event on the Oxford calendar. If you like our aims and ideas, do come and see for yourself.
