BA Bookshop Mentoring Scheme with Creative Access

Throughout 2025, the Booksellers Association (BA) collaborated with Creative Access to deliver a mentoring programme designed to support young people seeking to enter—or advance within—the bookselling profession. Fifteen mentees, selected by Creative Access from communities historically under‑represented in the book trade, were paired with experienced bookseller mentors identified by the BA. In her presentation, Kate Gunning, Head of Membership Development at the BA, will discuss the origins of the initiative and provide an overview of its implementation and outcomes.

Kate Gunning, Head of Membership Development at the Booksellers Association, is a seasoned bookselling and publishing professional with extensive experience across retail management, buying, and member services. Joining the Booksellers Association in 2022 as Acting Membership Manager, she now supervises all membership processes and services and runs BA Learning, the Association’s learning and development programme. She also runs the Children’s and Christian Bookselling Groups and the Independent Booksellers Forum. Kate previously spent 13 years at Waterstones, managed stores in Paris and London, served as Book Buyer at Selfridges and Head of Buying at Foyles, and later spent 12 years as Independent Bookshops Manager at Penguin Random House.