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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260127T140000
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SUMMARY:Sheila Markham & Conversations with the Rare Book Trade
DESCRIPTION:Sheila Markham is an Honorary Member of the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association for her oral history project celebrating rare booksellers and collectors from around the world. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAfter reading Theology at Oxford\, Sheila joined Marlborough Rare Books in 1979\, where she spent seven years doing a traditional apprenticeship. She worked for various leading figures in the rare book business\, and ran her own business specialising in books on the Ancient Near East for a few years. In 1994 she became Librarian of the Travellers Club in London\, a position which she continues to hold. \n\n\n\nIn 1991 Sheila was invited by the editor of The Bookdealer to conduct a series of interviews with her colleagues in the world of rare books. The project continues to this day\, although they now appear in The Book Collector\, and the total number of interviews published so far is 172. Two collections of interviews were published in book-form in 2004 and 2014\, and A Third Book of Booksellers: Conversations with the Antiquarian Book Trade will be published on 1 December 2025. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIn her talk\, Sheila will share some of her findings from these conversations\, covering a period from the early 1990s\, when bookselling had hardly changed since the invention of printing\, to the turbulent times of online commerce. \n\n\n\nThe majority of those interviewed come from the English-speaking world\, but booksellers in Argentina\, France\, Italy\, Japan\, the Netherlands\, South Korea\, Spain and Turkey are also represented. One of the recurring themes in these global conversations is the unanimous belief in the survival and enduring appeal of the book as a physical object.
URL:https://booksellingresearchnet.uk/event/brn-markham26/
CATEGORIES:Symposium
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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260303T143000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260303T153000
DTSTAMP:20260404T114405
CREATED:20251104T103652Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260323T110531Z
UID:2840-1772548200-1772551800@booksellingresearchnet.uk
SUMMARY:Insights from the Booksellers Association research into the Cultural and Community Value of Bookshops across the UK and Ireland
DESCRIPTION:It has long been the contention of the Booksellers Association (UK and Ireland) that its members – chains and indies – play an outsize role in enriching the cultural lives of their communities. Starting in 2024\, research has been undertaken to determine the extent to which and in what ways bookshops enrich their communities\, whilst identifying enablers and barriers so that this contribution can be sustained and strengthened. Consequently\, a series of research reports has been produced covering England (September 2024)\, Ireland (excl. Northern Ireland: November 2024)\, Scotland (November 2025)\, and Wales (scheduled for January 2026). Howard will outline the insights arising from this body of research\, similarities and contrasts between the four nations\, and the key policy recommendations that have emerged. \n\n\n\nHoward Davies has a background in Public Affairs and Public Policy. Howard is a self-confessed bookshop enthusiast. He has previously worked for the Booksellers Association of UK and Ireland as (maternity cover) Head of Policy and Public Affairs. Howard authored the 2024 research reports on the Cultural Role and Value of England’s Independent Bookshops  (funded by Arts Council England and supported by the BA)\, and on the Cultural Role and Value of Bookshops in Ireland (funded by the BA)\, and the November 2025 BA research report into the Cultural and Community role of Scotland’s Bookshops\, and the January 2026 research report into the Cultural and Community role of Wales’s Bookshops.
URL:https://booksellingresearchnet.uk/event/davies2026/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260313T140000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260313T150000
DTSTAMP:20260404T114405
CREATED:20260113T151420Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260316T160610Z
UID:3057-1773410400-1773414000@booksellingresearchnet.uk
SUMMARY:Literature for the People: How the Pioneering Macmillan Brothers built a Publishing Powerhouse
DESCRIPTION:Join us with this link: https://ucl.zoom.us/j/91934261983?pwd=78mkAzw85rsPM2k9l0Xk6WfFQZGGJI.1 \n\n\n\nFrom poverty on the Isle of Arran\, via a little shop in Cambridge\, two men with little education founded one of the world’s most famous publishing companies\, bringing to their Victorian readers\, authors as varied as Lewis Carroll\, Christina Rossetti\, Matthew Arnold\, Thomas Hughes and Alfred Lord Tennyson. They combined fabulous networking skills with a keen business sense and a love of fine writing. Above all\, the brothers\, Christian Socialists\, believed that publishing should have moral and political purpose.Within two generations the family would produce a British Prime Minister – quite the ‘rags to riches’ tale. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSarah Harkness studied PPE at Mansfield College\, Oxford\, then joined an investment bank in the City\, one of the first women working in corporate finance\, where she enjoyed a highly successful career for twenty years. For the last twenty years she has served on a number of boards\, including both public and private companies. Her interests have been primarily in the education\, culture and health sectors\, including three years as Pro-Chancellor of the University of Sheffield. She is now chair of Orthopaedic Research UK. She holds an Honorary Doctorate from Sheffield University and an Honorary Fellowship at Mansfield College. In 2018\, a ten-year personal interest in a pioneering Victorian artist and writer\, Nelly Erichsen\, led to her writing and self-publishing a well-received biography\, which was longlisted for the 2019 William MB Berger Prize for British Art History. In October 2021 she was awarded an MA with Distinction in Biography at the University of Buckingham\, studying under Professor Jane Ridley. In 2021 she won the Tony Lothian Prize\, awarded by The Biographers’ Club\, for the best proposal for an uncommissioned biography. Literature for the People: How the Pioneering Macmillan Brothers Built a Publishing Powerhouse was published by Pan Macmillan in May 2024.
URL:https://booksellingresearchnet.uk/event/harkness26/
CATEGORIES:Symposium
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260414T140000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260414T150000
DTSTAMP:20260404T114405
CREATED:20260309T095422Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260309T104915Z
UID:3157-1776175200-1776178800@booksellingresearchnet.uk
SUMMARY:From Market to Margin: The Growth of Queer Literature in the UK
DESCRIPTION:Join Zoom Meetinghttps://ucl.zoom.us/j/98153761033?pwd=SHHU6UCpXbUSaT4UrXhGayfhmpMzb5.1 \n\n\n\nMeeting ID: 981 5376 1033Passcode: 958779 \n\n\n\n\n\nOver the past five years\, the UK has seen a striking surge in LGBTQIA+ literature\, both in visibility and in commercial weight. The “Queer Top 50” alone accounted for around 2.2 million books sold and £20.6 million in value in 2024\, showing that queer writing is no longer a niche but a significant cultural and economic force. \n\n\n\nBreakout titles such as Heartstopper have set records — 60\,000 copies sold in just three days — proving that readers are hungry for authentic queer stories across genres. This growth is also supported by change inside the industry itself: in 2024\, 16% of the UK publishing workforce identified as LGBT+\, up from just 5% in 2017\, helping shift commissioning and marketing decisions towards greater inclusivity. \n\n\n\nFor independent and specialist booksellers\, this represents both opportunity and responsibility. We are uniquely positioned to curate\, champion\, and hand-sell the diverse range of LGBTQIA+ titles that mainstream outlets may overlook. At a time when some schools and libraries are under pressure to remove queer books\, shops like Gay on Wye become not just retailers but safe cultural spaces\, sustaining visibility\, access\, and community for readers who need these stories most. \n\n\n\nJoin Tom Owen\, founder of Gay on Wye\, an independent LGBTQIA+ bookshop in Hay-on-Wye\, as he discusses the research which led to the opening of his shop and his vision for the future of queer literature on the UK high street\, Stocking LGBTQIA+ books isn’t about cashing in on the pink pound — it’s about offering stories that resonate deeply with readers and help build lasting community. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAbout Tom Owen: \n\n\n\nTom opened Gay on Wye in 2023 after nearly a decade of planning. With a background in the creative arts\, he has worked with institutions across South Wales and the UK\, shaping his understanding of storytelling\, culture\, and representation. A passionate reader — especially of science fiction — he believes in literature’s power to transport\, challenge\, and affirm identities.  \n\n\n\nWhether promoting LGBTQIA+ authors\, creating a welcoming space for discovery\, or simply sharing his love of books\, Tom remains committed to the belief that every reader deserves to see themselves reflected in literature.
URL:https://booksellingresearchnet.uk/event/from-market-to-margin-the-growth-of-queer-literature-in-the-uk/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260522T140000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260522T150000
DTSTAMP:20260404T114405
CREATED:20260115T113403Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260121T114206Z
UID:3064-1779458400-1779462000@booksellingresearchnet.uk
SUMMARY:BA Bookshop Mentoring Scheme with Creative Access
DESCRIPTION: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. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nKate 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.
URL:https://booksellingresearchnet.uk/event/brn-gunning26/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260619T140000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260619T150000
DTSTAMP:20260404T114405
CREATED:20260115T114318Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260115T115038Z
UID:3066-1781877600-1781881200@booksellingresearchnet.uk
SUMMARY:The British Book Trade and the Book War of 1906
DESCRIPTION:Details coming soon.
URL:https://booksellingresearchnet.uk/event/the-british-book-trade-and-the-book-war-of-1906/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260909T170000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260911T130000
DTSTAMP:20260404T114405
CREATED:20251030T170435Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20251126T161252Z
UID:2826-1788973200-1789131600@booksellingresearchnet.uk
SUMMARY:BRN Bookselling Conference 2026: Spaces of Bookselling
DESCRIPTION:Bangor University | 9–11 September 2026In association with the Stephen Colclough Centre for the History and Culture of the Book \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n“For such a space entails the unexpected. The specifically spatial within time-space is produced by that—sometimes happenstance\, sometimes not—arrangement-in-relation-to-each-other that results from the multiplicity of trajectories. In spatial configurations\, otherwise unconnected narratives may be brought into contact\, or previously connected ones may be wrenched apart. There is always an element of ‘chaos.’ This is the chance of space.”— Doreen Massey\, For Space (2005)
URL:https://booksellingresearchnet.uk/event/brn26/
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