From Margin to Market: The Growth of Queer Literature in the UK
Join Tom Owen as he discusses the research that led to the opening of Gay on Wye and shares 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.
BRN Bookselling Conference 2026: Spaces of Bookselling
We welcome proposals that engage with all forms of the bookselling space—physical, virtual, historical, social, communal, commercial, and imagined—and encourage transcultural, transnational, and intersectional perspectives.
Sheila Markham & Conversations with the Rare Book Trade
Sheila will share some of her findings from bookseller conversations covering a period from the early 1990s.
Bookselling as Resistance?
A Conference Report by Carla Schäfer (University of Münster)
Sam Read bookshop in the news
Read more at the Westmorland Gazette
In Memorium: Dr. Frederick Nesta, 1945-2025
It is with great sadness that we mark the passing of our good friend and colleague, Dr Frederick Nesta, Honorary Research Fellow in the Department of Information Studies at University College London. Frederick was a regular attendee of the BRN symposium, joining conversations with humour and insight. He will be greatly missed by us and by those studying and working in bookselling and publishing.
Shai Feraro: Occult and New Age Spirituality Bookshops
his paper presents exploratory notes from my ongoing research project, which focuses on occult and New Age spirituality bookshops in Britain and aims to illuminate their function as hubs and arenas for the transference of knowledge and information within these respective milieus, c. 1893 - c.1993.
Michael Robb–author of Shelf Life
Shelf Life is a meticulously crafted exploration of bookselling and publishing that spans two millennia. This engaging narrative unveils the resilience and innovation of key figures who have shaped the literary landscape, from the pioneering days of William Caxton to the contemporary influence of Jeff Bezos.
Radical Bookselling in the UK in the 1970s – 90s
The Radical Bookselling History Project explore the vibrant history of radical bookshops (1970s-80s): community hubs, activist networks, and pioneers of progressive literature.
