Horowitz and de Waal to appear at BA Conference

Authors Anthony Horowitz and Kit de Waal will join Brian Blessed at the Booksellers Association’s conference in Birmingham next month.

Novelist and screenwriter Horowitz will speak at a dinner on Monday night (10th September), sponsored by publisher Cornerstone, while de Waal, whose My Name is Leon (Viking) recently won the Irish Book of the Year prize, will take part in the 'Bookseller Business Session: Diversity and Community' on Sunday afternoon (11th September).

The BA Conference is taking place for the first time at Conference Aston in Birmingham after moving from Warwick University.

Other authors slated to take part in the event are Rosamund Young, Leif Bersweden, Michael Odell, Jim Al-Khalili, Mick Kitson, Lucy Moore, Patrick Barkham, Peadar O’Guilin, Oz Clarke, Matt Phillips and Michael Brook, who will attend an Author Dinner on the Sunday of the conference, sponsored by the Independent Alliance. Horowitz meanwhile will be joined by authors Nick Harkaway, Dorothy Koomson, Lisa Jewell, Jonathan Coe and Tara Westover at the Monday night dinner.

Meanwhile Borough Press will host an author breakfast for members, with Katy Mahood and James Smythe, on Monday morning.

Delegates will also take part in morning sessions and an afternoon of workshops called ‘Skills Labs’, which will concentrate on running bookshop events, maximising space for profit and effect, business improvement and digital marketing.

Brian Blessed was revealed as the key note speaker for the event last month.

Alan Staton at the Booksellers Association, said: “We’re delighted to have such a diverse range of talented authors joining us at this year’s Conference. The line-up this year is looking better than ever, and we think there’ll be something for everyone – booksellers and publishers alike.”