FutureBook Conference 2023
Mon Nov 27, 2023
09:00 - 19:00
County Hall, Waterloo and online
FutureBook Conference 2023
For Leaders and Future Leaders
27th November, London and Online
The UK book trade’s annual agenda-setting conference took place on Monday 27th November, and if you wanted to keep pace with change in the next 12 months, it’s the one date you couldn’t afford to miss. 100s of decision-makers and 50+ inspiring speakers from across publishing, entertainment, tech, education and more took part in a spectacular day of keynotes, panels, interviews, case studies and conversations. From audio to IP, data to design, it covered all the industry’s most urgent issues, with a special focus on AI: how we can embrace or guard against artificial neural networks, what their implications are for core roles, and the ways in which generative AI might change the creative act itself.
A new era of leadership is coming.
Featured SpeakersView All
Nancy Adimora
L J Ross
Nadim Sadek
Nicola Solomon
Sophie Williams
Featured Speakers
Nancy Adimora
L J Ross
Nadim Sadek
Nicola Solomon
Sophie Williams
All Speakers
Yassmin Abdel-Magied
Micaela Alcaino
Ravina Bajwa
Emma Bell
Anna Bond
Diana Broccardo
Selina Brown
Caroline Butler
Jamie Byng
James Carney
Dan Conway
Anna Derkacz
Lee Dibble
Kelli Fairbrother
Kathleen Farrar
Aimée Felone
Helen Freeman
Jenny Fry
Molly Flatt
Dominic Gribben
Briony Grogan
Carla Herbertson
Georgia Henry
Nathan Hull
Lotte Jeffs
Lucy Jones
Srishti Kadu
Jason Kelly
Steve Leard
Joanna Lord
Emma Lowe
Romilly Morgan
Niamh Murray
Katie Ogunṣakin (née Packer)
David Pearson
Emma Quick
Jasmine Richards
Joel Rickett
Miriam Robinson
Rafaela Romaya
Sujoy Roy
Kaiya Shang
Hannah Silva
Laura Smith
Rebecca Souster
Euan Tait
Nicole Vanderbilt
Jon Watt
Maura Wilding
Ed Wood
FutureBook 2023 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.
Shortlist
FUTUREBOOK AWARDS SHORTLISTS
Jump to the Awards shortlists:
Sponsored by Ingram Content Group
From spearheading inclusive initiatives to developing powerful teams and strategies, this eclectic cohort makes us feel very hopeful for the future. Whether they're making waves as a freelancer or rising through the big-five ranks, our five future leaders share one quality: a determination to make publishing a fairer, more effective and more inspiring place to be.
Micaela Alcaino
Book cover designer and illustrator
Talented freelance designer Alcaino uses her growing platform to champion inclusivity, challenge homogeneity and provoke productive industry-wide dialogue about AI.
Andy Joannou
Head of audience development
Pan Macmillan
An inclusive and inspiring digital marketing specialist, Joannou is achieving impressive data-driven growth for Pan Macmillan while nurturing a deeply faithful team.
Srishti Kadu
Procurement controller
Taylor & Francis
A mentor, writer and speaker as well as procurement whizz for Taylor & Francis, Kadu is passionate about demystifying book production and promoting diversity in the trade.
Katie Packer
Editorial director, Trapeze
Orion
Both a skilled commissioner and a leader of ambitious company-wide initiatives, Trapeze’s editorial director is doing groundbreaking work to reach underserved communities.
Emma Quick
Head of marketing, children's division
Bonnier Books UK
BookTok pioneer and YA expert Quick inspires her colleagues and consistently delivers top-level campaign work as head of marketing at Bonnier Children’s Trade Books.
A founder, publisher, comms director and c.f.o. walk into a publishing conference … but our four finalists for leader of the year are no joke. They might have varied roles and approaches, but every one of our candidates has demonstrated outstanding tenacity, agility and creativity over the past 12 months - all while driving impressive commercial success.
Lara Borlenghi
Chief financial officer
Pan Macmillan
Meticulous yet passionate and with a keen focus on innovation, financial supremo Borlenghi makes sure that Pan Macmillan's funds reach the projects that matter most.
Selina Brown
Founder and c.e.o.
Black British Book Festival
Brown’s ability to unite stakeholders from across publishing is unparalleled, uplifting communities, readers and writers as it transforms representation in the trade.
Jenny Lord
Executive publisher, W&N and Orion Literary
Orion
Depth of experience and sharp judgement make Lord one of the best literary publishers in the business, and she excels at recruiting outstanding rising talent for Orion.
Polly Osborn
Publishing strategy and communications director
Simon & Schuster UK
Osborn’s dynamism, candour and collaboration at Simon & Schuster UK drives organisational change, commercial success and the undying loyalty of her team.
AI, audio, e-reading and discoverability… our four startups of the year cover all the big bases when it comes to future tech. But these ambitious young businesses aren’t just digitally savvy; they’ve worked hard to understand what readers want, and what the industry needs. First stop, FutureBook Award shortlist; next stop, world domination?
Footnote Press
Launched in partnership with Bonnier Books UK, Footnote combines new technologies, urgent issues and diverse authors to create a disruptive and inspiring press.
Immer
Bite-sized, colourful, social and flexible, the Immer Reading System offers bespoke plug-in digital possibilities to bookstores, libraries, publishers, educators and more.
Narrative Muse
With its diversity-focused recommendation engine Taste Space, this New Zealand-based start-up aims to banish echo chambers and provide fresh insights to publishers.
Sounded.com
This emerging AI-enhanced audiobook platform is making waves in the industry by combining strategic clarity and innovative product development with ethical rigour.
These six projects aren’t just successful in and of themselves. They pioneer approaches and ideas that could help the book trade to become more responsive, diverse and sustainable on a far wider scale. With initiatives in technology, design, development, marketing, author care and education all showcased, this is a feast of cross-sector inspiration.
And Other Stories’ new series design
And Other Stories
A masterclass in iconic, impactful and sustainable book design, the publisher’s revamped covers demonstrated fresh thinking and careful execution at every step.
Changing the Story Freelancer Training Programme
Hachette UK
Hachette UK’s fully-funded workshops and mentoring gave a real boost to accessibility and representation in publishing’s freelance workforce.
Debut Writers' Academy
Orion
Offering an 8-week course to demystify the publishing process and build a support network, Orion’s speedy response to debut stress set a new standard for author care.
GPT: Write me an academic book
Springer Nature
By uniting authors, editors and reviewers in a focused hackathon, this pioneering project took just 5 months to create the first book using Generative AI.
HarperFiction’s industry-first student activation
HarperCollins UK
This nationwide initiative designed to reach university students during fresher’s week captured a previously untapped and trendsetting new audience.
Lit in Colour: Pioneers programme
Penguin Random House UK
In partnership with exam board Pearson Edexcel, this programme got diverse set texts into over 200 schools via teacher training, resources and creative content.
