LBF deals: Del Rey and FSG
Publishers Weekly reports that Del Rey bought one of the buzziest books from this year’s London Book Fair, and FSG acquired Raven Leilani’s sophomore novel — a work about women artists — in its April 13 deals roundup. The coverage shows the fair is still generating active acquisition momentum after the event. (publishersweekly.com)
Del Rey and Farrar, Straus and Giroux are still closing London Book Fair business a month after the show, with Del Rey buying a heavily discussed fair title and Farrar, Straus and Giroux taking Raven Leilani’s next novel. (publishersweekly.com) Publishers Weekly reported the deals in its roundup for the week of April 13, 2026, which was posted on April 10. The item said Leilani’s new novel is scheduled for spring 2027. (publishersweekly.com) The trade publication described Leilani’s book as a novel about “a group of women, all artists,” linked by the fallout from a scandal. It also said Del Rey acquired “one of the buzziest books” from the 2026 London Book Fair. (publishersweekly.com) That timing matters in publishing because the London Book Fair itself ended on March 12, 2026, after three days at Olympia London. Publishers Weekly said the event drew more than 33,000 visitors and 1,005 exhibitors. (publishersweekly.com) Fair director Emma Lowe told Publishers Weekly that the 2026 show felt “buzzy and busy,” and Open Road Integrated Media chief executive David Steinberger said people were able to do good business there. The new April deals suggest some of that rights trading is still being converted into signed acquisitions weeks later. (publishersweekly.com; publishersweekly.com) For Leilani, the acquisition extends a relationship with Farrar, Straus and Giroux, which published her 2020 debut, *Luster*. Publishers Weekly’s review of *Luster* called it her debut novel and listed Farrar, Straus and Giroux as the publisher. (publishersweekly.com) For Del Rey, the pickup shows how genre imprints use the fair’s rights market to spot books early, before U.S. publication schedules are set. Publishers Weekly’s London fair coverage described the 2026 event as having a “bustling rights market,” not just a conference program. (publishersweekly.com) The immediate next step is not publication but packaging: editors, agents, and foreign-rights teams turn fair buzz into contracts, schedules, and launch plans over the following months. This week’s Del Rey and Farrar, Straus and Giroux deals show that the March fair is still shaping the 2027 list. (publishersweekly.com; publishersweekly.com)
