Coelho, Durant and Basu to attend 2023 AIM Literary Festival

Authors Joseph Coelho, Alan Durant and Shrabani Basu will be among those attending this year’s AIM Literary Festival (ALF), taking place on 19th November at Brent Civic Centre. 

The festival, which is organised by the small press Author In Me (AIM), will feature panel discussions on literary diversity and workshops led by publishing experts and authors. The "StoryGarden Bookshelf" will also be launched at this year’s event to provide a dedicated space showcasing works from a diverse range of authors.

StoryGarden will feature titles including Let Us Descend by Jesmyn Ward (Bloomsbury), A Visible Man by Edward Enninful (Bloomsbury) and Spy Princess by Basu (The History Press). According to the organisers, publisher Bloomsbury "has been instrumental in bringing the StoryGarden Bookshelf to life".

Ekta Bajaj, co-curator of the AIM Literary Festival, said: "We are grateful to Bloomsbury for contributing their diverse titles to StoryGarden. The StoryGarden Bookshelf is a testament to the belief that stories bridge gaps, foster understanding, celebrate the myriad experiences and plant the seeds of literary passion within communities."

Monica Sood, co-curator of the AIM Literary Festival, added: "It’s a monumental step towards ensuring that every voice, regardless of origin, finds a place on our bookshelves and in our hearts. We are inviting authors, publishers and independent bookshops to join our initiative to make the publishing industry more inclusive."