The Icelandic volcanic ash that’s wreaking havoc on European travel has stranded boldface names along with ordinary travelers. Dozens of socialites were stranded en route to Belgrade, where Prince Alexander and Princess Katherine of Serbia planned to host a 70th birthday tonight at the Royal Palace for Princess Ira von Furstenberg, the sister of the late Egon von Furstenberg.
Society decorator Susan Gutfreund was about to leave for the airport from her mansion in Paris when her flight was canceled.
Former CNN host Lou Dobbs was marooned in the US, unable to catch a flight to watch his equestrian daughter, Hillary, compete at the Rolex FEI World Cup in Geneva, although her mom, Debi Dobbs, and fiancé, Roy Wilten, made it over. The volcano also claimed a literary victim: the London Book Fair, which starts Monday, one of the most important events of the year for publishers to publicize their releases and sell subsidiary rights.
Penguin Group CEO John Makinson announced yesterday that a press breakfast he’d planned to host had been rescheduled to “some point later in the year.” A Random House rep told us, “We have a number of people headed over, but their travel plans are uncertain . . . The outcome is still unknown.”
London Book Fair director Alistair Burtenshaw said most events will be held nonetheless. “Our view is that the show must — and will — go on, and we will provide all the help we can to ensure it runs as smoothly as possible,” he said by e-mail.
Even those already in Europe are having trouble getting to London. British agent Carole Blake told Publishers Weekly that German publishers found that the Eurostar train was already overbooked, as were all ferries between Britain and the Continent. “It’s going to be a surreal fair if this continues much longer, that’s for sure,” she said.