By Charlotte Brook
After the success of last year, Edinburgh Book Festival are again running a series of events dedicated to sharing ideas and expertise about how the book industry operates for everyone from publishing hopefuls to writers to industry professionals.
The total of six events will go ahead from the 15–26 August this summer featuring conversations with experts from the industry sharing their thoughts on some of the pressing issues publishing faces today as well as showcases from exciting literary talent.
So, what’s on the agenda? Here’s a look at the line-up for this year’s The Business of Books.
First up on 15 August is Beneath the Covers: Best Marketing Strategies of 2022. Partnering with The Bookseller, this event takes a deep dive into the most creative marketing campaigns publishing has brought this year. Industry professionals shortlisted for the 2022 British Book Awards give their insight as to where it all went right for campaigns such as indie publisher’s 404 Ink Inklings series and Faber’s bestselling Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney.
Next, on 22 August is dedicated to new Scottish literary voices and independent publishers with Shaping Scotland’s Stories: New Voices Showcase. On-stage authors and publishers come together to discuss the importance of searching for new Scottish stories and sharing them with the world. There will also be a reading from Glasgow-based poet Anna Cheung.
Continuing to celebrate Scottish literary talent, the 23 August brings The Scottish Spoken Word Showcase. With live literature performances making a comeback after the pandemic put them on hold, this event gives them centre stage. Nine spoken word artists will perform, yet not just for our entertainment, the event hopes to connect talent to international industry contacts in attendance, giving them the opportunity to further their art outside Scotland.
On 24 August is Call My Agent! The Role of the Literary Agent. Sometimes a role that those outside the industry don’t quite understand, this event sheds light on the role of literary agents in the publishing process. Literary agents from across the UK come together to share their invaluable insight on what agents look for in submissions and how to build a bestselling writer’s career. Definitely not one to miss if your dream is to become a literary agent, or if you just want to get an understanding of the role!
Next up is Celebrating Inclusion which takes place on 25 August. This event focuses on the importance of making literary events accessible for disabled people. The Inklusion Guide written by disabled writers Julie Farrell and Ever Dundas and published by Penguin Random House is the perfect how-to guide for what publishers should be doing for their events. The event is a conversation hosted by disability activist Sinead Burke and includes a poetry reading by a disabled writer, Jeda Pearl.
To round off the week of events, is a panel on The Evolution of Young Adult Literature. As the first year that Edinburgh Book Festival have ran the YA Book Prize in partnership with The Bookseller, this event looks at how YA literature has grown over the decades, especially with the inclusion of more complex and sensitive topics. There may even be some award-winning YA authors in attendance.
What a week of events for The Business of Books!
Tickets for The Business of Books events are pay what you can and go on sale from the website on Thursday 23 June so mark your calendars!
What else is on at Edinburgh Book Festival 2022?
That isn’t all from this year’s Edinburgh Book Festival! Events are running over two weeks from the 13–29 August, so don’t worry if you can’t make The Business of Books events, there will be plenty more for you to join in on!
What’s more, as well as hosting in-person events, around 200 events are also taking place online. So, no matter where you are you won’t miss out.
The rallying cry of this year’s festival is All Together Now and the line-up certainly triumphs inclusivity across a huge range of themes.
In the Black Joy segment, Candice Carty-William, author of bestselling debut Queenie, introduces her new novel People Person. Eloghosa Osunde speaks about her debut novel Vagabonds! which explores the displaced, spiritual, and queer spaces in Nigerian Lagos.
In Queer Love and Relationships, Torrey Peters, author of Detransition, Baby, Imogen Binnie, author of Nevada, and Shola von Reinhold, author of Lote are in conversation about the evolution of trans literature.
In Women Behaving Badly, Katherine Angel, author of Tomorrow Sex Will Be Good Again, and Amia Srinivasan, author of The Right to Sex, talk about their unflinching books on sex and consent. Mieko Kawakami is also in attendance discussing her latest novel, All The Lovers In The Night, and how the world would react if women told the truth about their lives.
These are just a taste of all the amazing events that Edinburgh Book Festival are hosting this year. Check them all out here.
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