Earlier this week, it looked as though the London fair might still go forward, even though major publishing companies, including Hachette, HarperCollins, Penguin Random House and Simon & Schuster, as well as Amazon and several literary agencies, pulled out. Reed Exhibitions, which organizes the event, announced its decision to cancel on Wednesday.

“The effects, actual and projected, of coronavirus are becoming evident across all aspects of our lives here in the U.K. and across the world, with many of our participants facing travel restrictions,” Reed Exhibitions said in a statement. “We have been following U.K. government guidelines and working with the rolling advice from the public health authorities and other organizations, and so it is with reluctance that we have taken the decision not to go ahead with this year’s event.”

The London fair typically hosts more than 25,000 authors, publishers, agents and other industry professionals, and has become a crucial international marketplace for the sale of foreign rights and other deals.

Some other industry events are moving ahead this month. The Association of Writers & Writing Programs said on Monday that it would still hold its conference in San Antonio next week, despite the mayor declaring a public health emergency and some literary groups and presenters saying they would not attend.

In a statement, the organization said it would be increasing the amount of hand sanitizer available, and also issued guidelines that “this will be a handshake-free, hug-free conference.” Even with those precautions, some writers and publishers were critical of its decision.