The eruption of the volcano under the Eyjafjallajokull glacier in Iceland and the ensuing volcanic ash covering most of Northern Europe has led to travel chaos across the continent.

As of today, 63 000 flights have been cancelled in the past four days, and most flights are still grounded. Railway and ferry lines are overbooked and thousands of travelers are stranded on airports. In the United Kingdom, the entire country’s airspace is on lockdown. This is obviously an extremely disappointing turn of events for the London Book Fair, which starts today in Earl’s Court.

The South African market focus has been severely affected, as most writers and publishers cannot fly into the UK. Luckily, Leopard’s Leap’s journalist and photographer are still attending and will provide coverage throughout the event. 

At present, the South African authors who are in London include: Gillian Slovo, Andre Brink, Deon Meyer, Pieter-Dirk Uys, Damon Galgut and Beverly Naidoo. Read more about the Fair’s contingency plan here.

Watch this space for more information and reports on the Fair!

 
 Map: www.nytimes.com