If the mention of book fairs makes you nostalgic for simpler times, there’s an exciting international art book fair that you won’t want to miss this spring. With over 100 participating artists, publishers, and galleries from across the globe, the Vancouver Art Book Fair (VABF) is now in its 14th year, making it the longest-running and largest book fair of its kind.
You’ll find a mix of zines, magazines, books, and all kinds of print media that will get the inspiration flowing. It’s the perfect event if you’ve been feeling like you’re in a creative rut!
Produced in collaboration with Emily Carr University’s Libby Leshgold Gallery, READ Books, and Fillip, this year’s fair features roughly 80 tables and too many genres to count. It all comes together this May at the Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre.
“Art book fairs are an important way emerging artists can make their works known to new audiences, but it’s equally important to established artists and organizations who want to realize artworks in the printed form,” shares Sharon Bradley, co-manager of VABF. “This is a great testament to the importance of publishing on the West Coast and how internationally connected Vancouver is.”
“The advantage of artists’ publications is that they are like having a gallery exhibition on your bookshelf,” adds co-manager Jonathan Middleton. “So many of the books at the fair have either been handcrafted, handbound, or printed on unusual printing techniques like Risograph, silkscreen, or letterpress. Others have precise, museum-quality offset printing and binding that often exceeds the cost of the sales price. In virtually every case, you’re going home with a special publication that you won’t find at most bookstores.”
In addition to perusing countless art and print media, you’ll get to check out a series of talks and live events by participating artists that make every title you take home mean that much more.
New exhibitors in 2026
This year’s fair includes 27 new global exhibitors, including Page Bureau (New York/Shanghai), a self-publishing unit of RELATED DEPARTMENT, which releases printed matter and digital files.
Page Bureau (New York/Shanghai), a self-publishing unit of RELATED DEPARTMENT that focuses on graphic design practice; Publicaciones Salvajes (Veracruz), an independent editorial practice dedicated to artisanal, experimental, and inclusive publishing; and 大囍包tōa-hí-pau (Taipei), a newly created artist collective inspired by the “surprise bags” commonly given to young Taiwanese students from the late ’90s to the early 2010s.
As for new Vancouver-based artists, visitors can expect to find Fingers Crossed Press, a risograph press and design studio; Fish Magic Press/Spenst/Navascues, a poetry and handmade chapbooks collective; Rungh Magazine, a Canadian IBPOC arts platform; and Winston Lê, a Vietnamese diaspora poet and artist.
When is the 14th annual Vancouver Art Book Fair?
The 14th Vancouver Art Book Fair will take place at the Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre from May 15 to 17, 2026, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, and until 5 p.m. on Sunday.
Admission is completely free and open to all.
So there you have it, book lovers! Mark your calendars.
When: May 15 to 17, 2026
Time: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, and until 5 p.m. on Sunday
Where: 181 Roundhouse Mews
Cost: Free admission
Recent Posts:
The Vancouver Group Chat: What your friends are talking about this week (April 7)
Sail to puffin paradise: B.C.’s most remote bird colonies await on this guided tour
