FutureBook Conference
Mon Nov 25, 2024
09:00 - 19:00
County Hall, Waterloo & online
FutureBook Conference 2024
For Leaders and Future Leaders
Monday 25th November, London and Online
Voicing our value
In a year of political change, what social, cultural and economic value does the book industry really offer the UK? How can we unleash and advocate for the unique power we have to restore focus, depth and nuance to overloaded brains; foster much-needed empathy across widening divides; and nurture the best of human creativity in an automated world? How can we unlock more value from technologies such as audio and AI? And how can we do a better job of valuing the people who make our industry great?
Join book trade leaders and future leaders at County Hall, Waterloo on 25th November, for keynotes, panels, interviews, awards and showcases from the UK’s top publishers, agents, retailers and authors, as well as high-profile industry outsiders.
A new era of publishing is coming. Lead the change.
Please email sales@thebookseller.com for sponsor opportunities.
FutureBook 2024 Award Category Sponsors
FutureBook 2024 Sponsors and Partners
Gallery
Photos from FutureBook Conference 2022 at 155 Bishopsgate, London
© Asun Olivan
LEGO Group's former c.o.o Bali Padda kicks off the FutureBook conference with his keynote.
Founder and chief executive of xigxag, Kelli Fairbrother tackled audiobook assumptions in her provocative keynote.
Nigel Newton, chief executive, Bloomsbury in conversation with The Bookseller’s editor Philip Jones about leading a global publishing business.
Róisín O'Shea, head of marketing, brand and campaign, HarperVoyager, presents at our #BookTok Showcase
The Bookseller’s working-class issue was published to coincide with FutureBook and launched by a panel, chaired by Lauren Brown, senior reporter, The Bookseller.
Hannah Griffiths, head of adaptation, All3Media, hosts a session exploring the challenges of transferring content from books to the small screen.
On the Broadgate stage, our panel 'Future talent: Retaining and recruiting for tomorrow', chaired by freelance marketing consultant, Miriam Robinson.
In a keynote conversation, Nina Findley, commercial director of The Works, spoke about The Work's strategic push into books.
In this inspiring personal keynote, Travis Alabanza muses on the huge opportunities that lay ahead if we question our categories.
At our FutureBook Awards ceremony, Dawn Burnett at HQ won the Campaign award for her work on Menopausing by Davina McCall and Dr Naomi Potter.
Asian Women writers and its founder Irum Fazal won the Discover prize.
Start-up was won by Storymix and its founder, Jasmine Richards, accepted the award on the Broadgate stage.
Categories & Criteria
The FutureBook Awards highlight and amplify the year’s outstanding publishing people and projects with an emphasis on leadership, achievement and innovation. Past winners have included HarperCollins, TikTok, Penguin Random House, the Booker Prize and the footballer Marcus Rashford, along with start-ups such as Wonderbly and Unbound.
For 2024, the awards categories are:
- Leader of the Year
- Future Leader of the Year, sponsored by Shimmr
- Start-up of the Year
- FutureBook Excellence Award, sponsored by World of Books
- Freelancer of the Year, sponsored by Whitefox
The deadline for all entries is Thursday 24th October 2024 at 5pm (BST).
How to enter
All you need to do to apply is enter 500 words max on behalf of yourself, your team or your nominee. This is your chance to explain why your project or person should win, so give us as much tangible evidence as possible - details of work, results and other impact, testimonials - focused on explaining how they fill the specific criteria of their category (innovation, fresh thinking, inspiring others, inclusion and so on). We’ll let you know whether you’ve been shortlisted in the first week of November. Good luck and thanks very much for helping us celebrate the best and brightest in UK publishing!
Awards Step
Leader of the Year
This award celebrates inspiring leaders, from heads of departments to experienced managers. We’re looking for someone able to inspire, innovate, direct and challenge: someone who brings the best out of their teams, but also themselves. Someone who makes change happen, but also knows when to defend their ground. Nominees should demonstrate an ability to deliver with an eye on innovation, growth, sustainability and inclusion. Recipients can be nominated by themselves, fellow leaders or their teams.
Future Leader of the Year
This award celebrates tomorrow's leaders today, from newbies to those a little more experienced rising up. A future leader can be any age, and come from any part of the business. Nominees should demonstrate how they are making a difference, leaning into their roles, and starting to get noticed. Nominees should demonstrate an ability to deliver and inspire others with an eye on innovation, growth, sustainability and inclusion. Recipients can be nominated by themselves, their managers or their colleagues.
Start-up of the Year
For Start-up we are looking to honour the most innovative and potentially impactful book trade business founded within the past three years. These could be independent businesses - ranging from fresh apps and platforms to new bookshops - or internal startups, such as a new imprint within an existing publisher. In particular we are looking for those companies with a focus on sustainability, inclusion and/or technology; the most important element is to have done something different with the potential to shake publishing up.
FutureBook Excellence Award
The FutureBook Excellence Award is for a product or initiative using new technology or new thinking to improve an area of the book business, with a particular emphasis on inclusion, sustainability and/or post-pandemic recovery. This could be a marketing campaign, a national movement, a website, even a new sort of book; what we’re looking for is clarity of thinking, quality of execution and attention to detail in delivering an outstanding project from beginning to end.
Freelancer of the Year
Brilliant freelancers of publishing, we see you, and all that you do. This award celebrates the many independent workers who help make publishing great, and is open to freelancers working in any area of the industry, from design to editing, translation to consultancy. Nominees should make a big difference to their clients with their fresh thinking, top level execution and impressive collaboration skills. Recipients can be nominated by themselves or their clients.
