FutureBook programme launches featuring 'all the talents'

The full programme for this year’s FutureBook Live Conference has been released, including speakers from across the tech, media, consumer and books space. The conference includes dedicated streams for the growing AudioBook and EdTech sectors, and a new stream, “Play”, devoted to practical hands-on experience.

Keynote speakers this year include Muki Kulhan, executive digital producer, Muki International; David Shelley, c.e.o, Hachette UK; Tracey Follows, founder and c.e.o of Futuremade; with a special guest appearance from author Seth Godin on video. Headliners for the AudioBook section include Miles Stevens-Hoare, general manager at W.F Howes, and James Cridland, radio futurologist; EdTech offers keynotes from  Sir Anthony Seldon, vice-chancellor at The University of Buckingham, and Rose Luckin, professor of learner-centred design, UCL Knowledge Lab.

Philip Jones, editor of The Bookseller and co-programmer of FutureBook Live, said: "We've brought together all the talents from across the media, tech, and publishing space for a day that will predict the future, provoke the audience into thought, and provide practical solutions to the issues facing the content business today, tomorrow and into the future."

Other notable speakers include Syima Aslam, founder and director of the Bradford Literature Festival; Eliza Easton, principal policy researcher at Nesta; Sam Coniff Allende, author of Be More Pirate; Ian Forrester, senior R&D firestarter at BBC North lab; Wil Harris, co-founder & c.e.o, Entale; and Ahrani Logan, co-founder and c.e.o at Peapodicity.

A Podcast Symposium, chaired by Mostly Lit's producer Clarissa Pabi will explore the challenges and opportunities for books from this burgeoning sector, while a short story competition, in partnership with The Pigeonhole will ask authors to imagine the 'future of the book', with Anna Jean Hughes, founder of The Pigeonhole, to lead a discussion on publishing now, from the perspective of a debut author. The BookTech showcase will highlight the best thinking in new technology in books; while the Pitch Ed session will focus on start-ups from the EdTech sector. A final section will ask publishing leaders to talk about their vision for growing a lasting book business in a time of change.

The conference concludes with a creative keynote from performance poet Sophia Thakur, the FutureBook Awards, and a special final address from FutureBook's Person of the Year.

The full programme can be accessed here, and tickets can be bought here.

FutureBook Live takes place on 30th November in London, at 155 Bishopsgate.