Bookselling Research Network

From Market to Margin: The Growth of Queer Literature in the UK
2026-04-14 14:00 - 15:00 (Europe/London)
Over 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.

Breakout 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.

For 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.

Join 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.

About Tom Owen:

Tom 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.

Whether 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.

BA Bookshop Mentoring Scheme with Creative Access
2026-05-22 14:00 - 15:00
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.

The British Book Trade and the Book War of 1906
2026-06-19 14:00 - 15:00
With Dr Maria Vassilopoulos (University of Wales Press)

Details and bio coming soon….

Zoom link: https://ucl.zoom.us/j/98063967186?pwd=[REDACTED]

Meeting ID: 980 6396 7186

Passcode: [REDACTED]

BRN Bookselling Conference 2026: Spaces of Bookselling
2026-09-09 17:00 - 2026-09-11 13:00
Bangor University | 9–11 September 2026In association with the Stephen Colclough Centre for the History and Culture of the Book

“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)

How Queer Bookshops Changed the World
2026-11-25 14:00 - 15:30
With A. J. West, author of How Queer Bookshops Changed the World (Oneworld, 2026).

A.J.West is a Sunday Times bestselling, multi-award-winning historical fiction novelist and historian. Prior to publication he was a breakfast host on BBC television news. He appears regularly on national television and radio programmes discussing literature, history and current affairs. His novel, The Betrayal of Thomas True, was an instant Sunday Times bestseller, winning the coveted CWA Historical Dagger award, while The Spirit Engineer won the Historical Writers Association Debut Crown. With a passion for digging up forgotten historical stories and bringing them back to life, he spends much of his time exploring archives and visiting locations of historical interest, not to mention touring independent bookshops.

Join via zoom: https://ucl.zoom.us/j/97453193955?pwd=[REDACTED]

Meeting ID: 974 5319 3955

Passcode: [REDACTED]
