OpenBooks launches to the public with speakers including Coelho and Baxter

OpenBooks, a virtual initiative to connect young people with potential careers in the book industry set up by the Publishers Association (PA), Booksellers Association (BA) and the Association of Authors’ Agents (AAA), is to launch to the public on 22nd and 23rd February. It will feature virtual events with speakers including Waterstones Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho and Dialogue Books’ senior editor Amy Mae Baxter.

Designed to “demystify career options, identify routes in, and position the books industry alongside other inspirational creative industries such as film, TV and music”, OpenBooks will be a series of free, accessible online events targeting 14-19-year-olds, especially those from under-represented backgrounds. 

The collaboration has public funding from the National Lottery through Arts Council England. All events will be available virtually via free-to-view platforms and will be supported by social media activity from across the books industry. Transcripts will be available for every panel session. The programme will remain online after the initial launch.

Short events will introduce young people to publishing, bookselling, agency work and more. Among the industry speakers featured will be Becky Thomas, literary agent at Lewinsohn Literary Agency; Daphne Lao Tonge, founder of Illumicrate and Daphne Press; and Zain Mahmood, head of e-commerce at Waterstones. Authors including Coelho, Juno Dawson and Cerrie Burnell are among the hosts.

OpenBooks will be promoted in schools and colleges with targeted advertising through local bookshops and with amplification from across the book industry and beyond. All activity will be shared here.

Coelho said: “OpenBooks is a vital initiative in ensuring that the future of the book industry is healthy, progressive and more clearly identifiable as an exciting and achievable career option to a diverse range of young people. I hope that showing the wealth of opportunity and creativity across the industry will prove inspiring, and I’m delighted to support it.”

Also launching will be short-orm video content, including “5 Minutes With . . .”  videos, which will give insights into inspiring careers options and real-life journeys, and  ”Come to Work with Me” videos, which will look behind the scenes at real jobs.

Organisations and individuals in the book industry are encouraged to get involved by sharing a short video or content of their own choice to social media with the tag #OpenBooks. More information can be found here.