ABA conference 2022 program announced

The Australian Booksellers Association (ABA) has announced the first guests for its two-day conference, to be held in person 12–13 June at the the Sheraton Grand Hyde Park in Sydney.

The conference will open with two keynotes, the first from Gamilaroi writer and academic Amy Thunig and the second from Angela Meyer, who is currently preparing a report on environmental sustainability in the book industry. Day one will also include a trade exhibition, author panels and the annual Nielsen report, and will be followed by the annual ABA awards night, hosted by comedian Wil Anderson.

Day two of the conference features an address from the recently announced Australian Children’s Laureate Gabrielle Wang and a closing keynote from writer Anna Funder, as well as panels on bookselling, children’s publishing, and promoting and selling diverse stories.

ABA CEO Robbie Egan said the 2022 conference ‘promises to be fascinating and provocative’.

‘We are ranging widely and looking at issues such as sustainability and diversity within our industry, Indigenous women’s experience in colonial academic structures, and human rights abuses and global human trafficking,’ said Egan.

‘It’s been a long time coming, and we really hope to challenge and excite you, and perhaps most of all to celebrate the life of culture and generosity that is bookselling.’

The 2021 conference, which was to take place at the Wheeler Centre, was moved online due to a Covid outbreak in Melbourne.

To view the full program for the 2022 ABA conference, and to purchase tickets, see the ABA website.

Category: Local news