Scottish Book Trade Conference 2024

NOTE: In-person tickets are now sold out for this event.

Booking is open for the joint Publishing Scotland and Booksellers Association Scottish Book Trade Conference 2024, taking place in Edinburgh on Thursday 16 May 2024. We encourage delegates to attend in person, but the event will also be available for digital attendance.

This is our 50^th year as the trade body supporting the industry and so we hope you will join us for a full day of insightful sessions and networking, followed by a drinks reception to celebrate the tenacity and hard-work of the Scottish publishing and bookselling industry.

Please note that the bookseller and publisher pitching will this year take place on Wednesday 15^th May in the afternoon – as part of our half day Trade Fair. Please contact Vikki to arrange your slot and particpation at this session.

TICKET PRICES:

IN-PERSON

• Publishing Scotland members: £115 + VAT
• Non-members: £127 + VAT
• Student: £25 + VAT

VIRTUAL

• Publishing Scotland members: £80 + VAT
• Non-members: £92 + VAT
• Student: £25 + VAT

Note: if you are a publishing student with Napier or Stirling, please ask your course leader about attending.

We are offering a discount for multiple bookings. You can buy one in-person ticket at full price, and then add more via the additional tickets option at a discount.

If you are from an under-represented background or have been impacted by the cost-of-living crisis, we may be able to offer you a FREE digital place at the conference. Please contact Lucy Feather if you are interested.

SCOTTISH BOOK TRADE CONFERENCE PROGRAMME

Central Hall, Edinburgh – Thursday 16 May 2024

9.15: ARRIVAL REFRESHMENTS, Sponsored by Batch Ltd

10.00: CONFERENCE STARTS Welcome from PS, the BA, and Chair, Jenny Brown

10.15: MORNING KEYNOTE Angus Robertson, Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs & Culture

10.45 BOOKS AND CONSUMERS SESSION The 2023/24 book-buying nation, Steve Bohme, UK Research Director, Nielsen BookData

11.30: MORNING TEA, Sponsored by Nielsen BookData

12.00: LET’S DEBATE Selling In is Not Selling Out – chaired by Vikki Reilly, PS with Sophie O’Neill from Inpress, Sam McDowell from Charco Press, Jo Lord from Canongate, Angie Crawford from Waterstones & Olivia Kekewich from The Edinburgh Bookshop

12.40: LUNCH, Sponsored by Ingram and Libro FM

13.40: ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IN PRACTICE Chaired by Caroline Parkinson, Director for Creative at the Edinburgh Futures Institute, Nadim Sadek from Shimmr, Jamie Watt from Harper Macleod, and Sara Lloyd from Pan Macmillan

14.30: Publisher & Bookseller separate sessions

15.30: AFTERNOON TEA, Sponsored by MVB UK

16.00 WORKSHOP CHOICES:

• Active sustainability
• Publishers on the shopfloor with Kitchen Press & The Bookhouse

16.45: END KEYNOTE Coinneach MacLeod/ The Hebridean Baker in conversation with Jenny Brown sponsored by Edelweiss/ Above the Treeline

17.15: CONFERENCE ENDS Chair’s notes / close 

DRINKS RECEPTION, a celebration of Publishing Scotland’s 50^th anniversary

The printed programme is sponsored by Bell & Bain Ltd.

National Book Tokens is a Bookseller Delegate Sponsor.

Gardners are the sponsor of the half-day trade fair on Wednesday 15 May.