At about this time each year, writers begin to discuss whether they’re going to, or should be going to, the London Book Fair. I’ve been an attendee for years and always enjoy it but if a writer asks if they ‘should’ be going to the Fair I usually say ‘Not unless you want to’.

Here are some of the things that LBF isn’t:

• a place to pitch to agents and editors (unless you’re an invited finalist a ‘Dragon’s Den’-type competition or an agent or editor has invited you to meet her or him there specifically to pitch. I have never heard of this latter thing happening)
• a book shop
• a venue in which to sell copies of your book, unless you’ve paid for a stand in order to do so
• free to attend (unless you count your publisher/fairy godmother paying for your ticket as ‘free’)
• a madly comfortable place