Publisher Track
Hang out in the Publisher Lounge and enjoy sessions made just for professionals like you! Hear from industry experts, access training and professional development, and learn what's new in our industry. Learn about all Bookfest speakers here.
Sponsored by:
JUNE 8, 2021
*All times listed in ET
All session recordings will be made available to registrants for several months after the event.
8:00
Rejuvenation - Yoga
Start your day out right with a short yoga session with Brandon Copeland of Khepera Wellness, a social enterprise devoted to bringing yoga and meditation to black communities around the country.
9:00
Keynote - Real Talk: In Conversation with Tayari Jones
Join New York Times best-selling author and 2021 Guggenheim Fellow, Tayari Jones, in a candid discussion about writing, books that matter, and life in the publishing industry with Linda A. Duggins.
Speakers: Tayari Jones, Linda A. Duggins
10:00
Choose from Author Panels in Six Genres
So many great options to choose from! Hop on over to your favorite Genre Lounge to sit in on an author panel:
Romance | Sci-Fi & Fantasy | Children's | YA | Fiction | Nonfiction & Current Events
11:00
Fall finds: Bookpage Presents the season's top titles
The editors of BookPage assess hundreds of titles each month in order to recommend the very best new books to readers. In this session, they’ll present their picks for fall’s most anticipated and intriguing offerings in seven categories, including fiction, nonfiction, mystery, romance, SFF, YA, and children’s. These are the books readers will be talking about this fall!
Speakers: Cat Acree, Stephanie Appell, Christy Lynch, Savanna Walker
Inside Radical Publishing
The work of radical publishers is designed to challenge our broken systems, champion under-represented voices, and advocate for a more just and equitable world. This panel will discuss what it means to be a radical publisher, the challenges involved in operating within a capitalist environment and funding their work, how they find under-represented voices, and more.
Speakers: Veruschka Selbach, Jisu Kim, Vijay Pashad, Ramsay Kanaan, Clara-Swan Kennedy, and Zakia Henderson Brown
12:00
Indies Introduce: Adult debut authors
Indies Introduce is all about what independent booksellers do best: discover exciting debut authors and share the best with readers across the country. The bookseller panelists who curated the Summer/Fall 2021 Adult Indies Introduce list will share how they selected titles and many of the debut authors will be present to read a short passage and answer panelists’ questions.
Speakers: Jessica Stauffer (ABA), Joy Dallanegra-Sanger (ABA), Deidre Dumpson, Olivia Edmunds-Diez, Audrey Huang, Carrie Koepke, Chris Lee, Ariana Paliobagis, Jocelyn Nicole Johnson, Ava Reid, Ly Tran, Virginia Feito, Lana Bastašić, Paul Mendez, Catherine Raven, Doma Mahmoud, Helen Atsma, Sara Look, Amanda Qassar
1:00
Explore!
Explore new titles from 100+ publishers, connect with your peers, rejuvenate your mind and body, and discover helpful tools across 18 pavilions and 128 booths. Check out our awesome exhibitors! Stop by the Amplifying Voices pavilion to discover new titles from BIPOC and LGBTQ+ authors or visit the Edelweiss pavilion for training and support (including the brand-new Edelweiss University!).
2:00
Choose from Author Panels in Six Genres
So many great options to choose from! Hop on over to your favorite Genre Lounge to sit in on an author panel:
Romance | Sci-Fi & Fantasy | Children's | YA | Fiction | Nonfiction & Current Events
3:00
LibraryReads Buzz: Nonfiction
Join LibraryReads and ALMA (the Adult Library Marketing Association) for Book Buzz. Library marketing reps will showcase upcoming summer and fall 2021 titles they love. Don't miss the chance to hear about the hottest new titles in nonfiction!
Speakers: Rebecca Vnuk (LibraryReads), Sharon Shell, Linette Kim, Chris Vaccari, Annie Mazes, Melissa Nicholas, Melissa Croce, Golda Rademacher, Tucker Stone, Margaret Coffee, Christopher Connolly, Anna-Lisa Sandstrum, Ellen Whitaker
Batch for Books: Better Invoice Management for Bookstores and Publishers
Learn how Batch for Books can help booksellers and publishers simplify and streamline invoice management. Batch creates efficiencies that save time and ensure accuracy. Joining Batch staff will be bookseller Julia Taylor from Itinerant Literate in Charleston, SC. There will be a Q&A following the discussion.
Speakers: Nathan Halter (Batch), Julia Turner, Josh Marwell
4:00
Music - Monte Pride
Monte Pride is a Michigan-born, Michigan-based singer-songwriter & fingerstyle guitarist whose songs recall the delicate vocals of Simon & Garfunkel, with guitar-work reminiscent of Nick Drake and The Tallest Man on Earth. He blends haunting melodies with vivid lyricism, bringing stories of love, loss, and longing to life in a complex array of healing, soul stirring song.
Explore!
Explore new titles from 100+ publishers, connect with your peers, rejuvenate your mind and body, and discover helpful tools across 18 pavilions and 128 booths. Check out our awesome exhibitors! Stop by the Amplifying Voices pavilion to discover new titles from BIPOC and LGBTQ+ authors or visit the Edelweiss pavilion for training and support (including the brand-new Edelweiss University!).
Meetups
Meetups are available for LGBTQ+ and BIPOC book folks to connect with one another. Share what you're most excited about at Bookfest and then stay connected throughout the conference.
5:00
Keynote - Imagining Other Worlds: TJ Klune and L. Penelope
Award-winning fantasy writers TJ Klune and L. Penelope come together for a conversation with Jenn Northington about the magical power of love and found family, writing with hope and optimism, and sending characters on complex journeys of self-discovery.
Speakers: TJ Klune, L. Penelope, Jenn Northington
6:00
LibraryReads Buzz: Fiction
Join LibraryReads and ALMA (the Adult Library Marketing Association) for Book Buzz. Library marketing reps will showcase upcoming summer and fall 2021 titles they love. Don't miss the chance to hear about the hottest new titles in fiction!
Speakers: Rebecca Vnuk (LibraryReads), Talia Sherer, Anthony Parisi, Linette Kim, Annie Mazes, Melissa Nicholas, Melissa Croce, Golda Rademacher, Alexa Wejko, Margaret Coffee, Amanda Casserly, Erica Melnichok, Nicole De Jackmo
7:00
Music - An Evening with Josh Ritter
Come hear the great Josh Ritter play his guitar and chat about his upcoming novel “The Great Glorious Goddamn of It All” (September 7th, 2021 from Hanover Square Press). Named one of the “100 Best Living Songwriters” by Paste Magazine and “10 Most Exciting Artists Now” by Entertainment Weekly, Josh is also the best-selling author of the novel, Bright's Passage.
Make Way for the Fans!
Gwenda Bond (Not Your Average Hot Guy) and Freya Marske (A Marvellous Light) join Elizabeth Minkel (Fansplaining) in conversation about fans, fandom, pop culture, the internet, and online communities-- and the importance of fan culture in the not-always-welcoming literary world.
8:00
A Reading and Music by Valerie June
Valerie June Hockett is a singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist from Tennessee. She’s been hailed by the New York Times as one of America's “most intriguing, fully formed new talents." She has recorded two critically acclaimed, bestselling solo albums and has also written songs for legendary artists. Her first book, Maps for the Modern World, is a collection of poems and original illustrations.
JUNE 9, 2021
8:00
Author Breakfasts
Join your favorite authors for breakfast. (BYO Breakfast!)
Rejuvenation - Meditation
Start your day off feeling centered and relaxed with some guided meditation from Danny Fluker of Black Boys Om Academy.
9:00
Keynote - IT’S ABOUT BLACK BABY JOY!
Authors and artists discuss why books, art, writers and artists are integral in the creation of Black joy for young readers with Denene Millner, Cozbi A. Cabrera, Natasha Tarpley, Regis Bethencourt and Kahran Bethencourt, moderated by Stacey Barney.
Speakers: Stacey Barney, Denene Miller, Cozbi A. Cabrera, Natasha Tarpley, Regis and Kahran Bethencourt
10:00
Choose from Author Panels in Six Genres
So many great options to choose from! Hop on over to your favorite Genre Lounge to sit in on an author panel:
Romance | Sci-Fi & Fantasy | Children's | YA | Fiction | Nonfiction & Current Events
11:00
Working Towards Book Industry Sustainability
To be successful in the future, the book industry needs to reduce waste, use more green energy, promote the circular economy, and maximize green efficiencies. In this session, hear how the Green Book Alliance is working towards book industry sustainability, and how its objectives have been shaped by the results of their first global survey and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Speakers: Karina Urquhart (BIC), Brian O'Leary (BISG)
Community, Bookstores, and Libraries for Anti-racist Refuge: Dissection, Reflection and Getting the Work Done
Amber Cabral (Allies and Advocates: Creating an Inclusive and Equitable Culture) and Michelle Cassandra Johnson (Finding Refuge) in conversation with librarian K. C. Boyd and bookseller Kathy Burnette about actively creating antiracist spaces and welcoming the community in support of both staff and patrons.
12:00
Indies Introduce: Kid's Debut Authors
Indies Introduce is all about what independent booksellers do best: discover exciting debut authors and share the best with readers across the country. The bookseller panelists who curated the Summer/Fall 2021 Kids' Indies Introduce list will share how they selected titles and many of the debut authors will be present to read a short passage and answer panelists’ questions.
Speakers: Jessica Stauffer (ABA), Joy Dallanegra-Sanger (ABA), Hannah Amrollahi, Kelsey April, Kim Brock, Cat Chapman, Connie Griffin, René Kirkpatrick, Abby Rauscher, Brein Lopez, Kelly Fernández, Amber McBride, Alexis Nedd, Alda P. Dobba, Isaac Fitzsimmons, Elisabet Velasquez, Alejandra Algorta, Kylie Lee Baker, Natasha Bowen
1:00
Explore!
Explore new titles from 100+ publishers, connect with your peers, rejuvenate your mind and body, and discover helpful tools across 18 pavilions and 128 booths. Check out our awesome exhibitors! Stop by the Amplifying Voices pavilion to discover new titles from BIPOC and LGBTQ+ authors or visit the Edelweiss pavilion for training and support (including the brand-new Edelweiss University!).
The Library in a Time of Pandemic: Impact, Shift, and Adjustment
Dr. Pauline Boss (The Myth of Closure: Ambiguous Loss in a Time of Pandemic) and Sara Wedell (Ann Arbor District Library) in discussion about coping with the effects of the pandemic, building resilience, and supporting the community in a time of grief, uncertainty, and rebuilding.
Speakers: Pauline Boss, Sara Wedell
2:00
Choose from Author Panels in Six Genres
So many great options to choose from! Hop on over to your favorite Genre Lounge to sit in on an author panel:
Romance | Sci-Fi & Fantasy | Children's | YA | Fiction | Nonfiction & Current Events
3:00
Buzz: YA editors panel
Four of the buzziest young adult authors chat with their editors about their forthcoming books.
Speakers: Robin Dellabough (Publishers Lunch), Jo Watson, Deanna McFadden, Ayana Gray, Stacey Barney, Dhonielle Clayton, Brittany Rubiano, Mahogany L. Browne, Phoebe Yeh
The Rise of Social Justice Publishing
From the Black Lives Matter movement to Trumpism to the coronavirus to climate change, there is certainly an appetite for books that attempt to explain our political and social turmoil. A panel of booksellers and publishers will discuss selling political and social justice titles in the midst of crises and social reckoning.
Speakers: John Mutter, Ramunda Young, Jeff Deutsch, Cristina Rodriguez, Anne Rumberger, John McDonald
Audiobooks: Success in a Growing Market
With eight years of double-digit growth in dollar and unit sales, it pays to be creating and selling audiobooks! Let’s talk about 2021 consumer data, how independent booksellers utilized audiobooks to help them during unusual times, why publishers should be ensuring they are making titles in the audio format, and key learnings from publishers who are active in the audio market.
Speakers: Michele Cobb (Audio Publishers Association), Mark Pearson, Samantha Edelson, Ana Maria Alessi, Kalima Desuze
4:00
Explore!
Explore new titles from 100+ publishers, connect with your peers, rejuvenate your mind and body, and discover helpful tools across 18 pavilions and 128 booths. Check out our awesome exhibitors! Stop by the Amplifying Voices pavilion to discover new titles from BIPOC and LGBTQ+ authors or visit the Edelweiss pavilion for training and support (including the brand-new Edelweiss University!).
Publishing Meet & Mingle
Unwind at the end of your day and connect with other publishing professionals, industry experts, and new faces. We'll use breakout rooms and conversation starters to get the discussion going! This session is facilitated by BookMachine.
Speakers: Laura Summers (Bookmachine)
Beyond Scholarship: Breaking Stereotypes of University Presses
Bookstores and libraries, as centers of their communities, provide readers with books that elevate underrepresented authors and feature trusted content on topical issues. Given their independence, geographic diversity, and obsessive devotion to truth, university presses work in parallel to these same aims. Join us for a discussion about powerful examples from across the country.
Speakers: Jeff Deutsch, Kathryn Marguy, Sarah Munroe, Gianna LaMorte
Meetups
Meetups are available for LGBTQ+ and BIPOC book folks to connect with one another. Share what you're most excited about at Bookfest and then stay connected throughout the conference.
5:00
Keynote - Lifting Lives with the Book: In Conversation with Anthony Doerr
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize and a #1 New York Times bestseller Anthony Doerr in conversation with Seija Rankin (Entertainment Weekly) about his new novel Cloud Cuckoo Land and the power of stories to comfort us in difficult moments across time and space.
Speakers: Anthony Doerr, Seija Rankin
6:00
Buzz: Romance Editors Panel
Four of the top romance authors chat with their editors about their forthcoming books.
Speakers: Robin Dellabough (Publishers Lunch), Jean Meltzer, Emily Ohanjanians, Kat Martin, Alicia Condon, Kosoko Jackson, Kristine E. Swartz, Timothy Janovsky, Mary Altman
7:00
Wrap Up & Looking Ahead: What's New in Edelweiss?
Join us to share conference highlights and hear about all things new at Edelweiss, including a brand new web-based eReader, Edelweiss360, and Edelweiss Community.
Speaker: John Rubin, Founder & CEO of Edelweiss by Above the Treeline
7:30
A Reading and Music by Tarriona "Tank" Ball
Tarriona “Tank” Ball is a New Orleans-based slam poet and Grammy-nominated recording artist with her band, Tank and the Bangas. Tarriona “Tank” Ball releases her debut poetry collection, Vulnerable AF, in June 2021, centered around infatuation, love, and heartbreak.
Available On-Demand
Editors' Picks
Hear directly from the editors or authors of highly anticipated titles! Discover editors' favorite books by BIPOC or LGBTQ+ authors, on demand in each genre lounge:
Romance | Sci-Fi & Fantasy | Children's | YA | Fiction | Nonfiction & Current Events