Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association Fall Tradeshow
Portland, Ore., September 19–21
For the third year, PNBA has front-loaded its show’s schedule with a day-one Big Pitch session with sales reps, followed by a social opening of the exhibition hall to let attendees mingle and catch up. The second day focuses on exhibits—including a Galley Gallery where booksellers can browse—and the third day centers on bookseller education on such topics as social media strategies and how to support staff.
Highlights:
• Opening-day Authors on the Map brunch featuring debut and second-time regional authors including Lisa Brideau, Lydia Kiesling, Susan Lieu, Deke Moulton, Cassandra Newbould, Nasugraq Rainey Hopson, and Mary Rechner, among others.
• Dinner at the Kids’ Table, with authors including Rosanne Parry, Nisi Shawl, Suma Subramaniam, and Ali Terese.
• Nightcapper Autographing Party with more than a dozen authors from independent publishers.
• Two Authors over Easy breakfasts, one with a panel featuring Maeve DuVally, Laurie Frankel, Rachel Khong, Garth Stein, and Don Winslow, and the next with Northwest authors E.J. Koh, Sasha LaPointe, and Seanan McGuire.
• The Signature Dish dinner event, with a dozen authors visiting tables to chat about their latest books.
• Evening Sweet & Greet gathering with more than a dozen authors signing their works.
California Independent Booksellers Alliance Fall Fest
San Francisco, September 27–28
CALIBA’s Fall Fest, held this year in a hotel near San Francisco International Airport, is a tightly packed two days of presentations, book signings, and practical knowhow. In addition to meeting top authors, plus a California-specific author panel, booksellers can join in roundtable discussions on such topics as handselling, book clubs, used books and remainders, Ingram, and Edelweiss.
Highlights:
• Indie All-Star opening breakfast with Melissa Broder, R.O. Kwon, Stephanie Land, Alex Michaelides, and Viet Thanh Nguyen, moderated by the Book Catapult’s Seth Marco.
• YA authors’ panel with Carolina Ixta, Ava Reid, Maggie Tokuda-Hall, Dale Walls, and Jasmine Walls.
• Author Buzz luncheon with Matthew Blake, Yangsze Choo, Téa Obreht, Claire Oshetsky, and Rebecca Serle, moderated by mimi tempestt.
• Concurrent book speed-dating sessions featuring lineups of adults’ and kids’ titles.
• Small press rep picks bingo and pizza party.
• Scholastic lunch with authors Mason Deaver, Joanna Ho, Ali Terese, and Booki Trivat.
• “What’s Past Is Prologue,” a California-focused panel with Jason de Léon, Obi Kaufmann, David Kipen, and José Vadi.
New England Independent Booksellers Association
Providence, R.I., October 3–5
For NEIBA’s 50th anniversary (see “NEIBA at 50,” p. 54), booksellers can anticipate a celebratory shindig and buzz around the New England Book Awards and the New England Children’s Book Advisory Council’s annual Windows and Mirrors selections. Education sessions will address bookstore business plans and day-to-day concerns, and attendees can register for rep picks, an editor buzz panel, and the awards luncheon.
Highlights:
• Opening keynote by Charles Duhigg (Supercommunicators), in conversation with Random House executive v-p and publisher Andy Ward.
• Author reception with more than 18 authors, including Jean Kwok, Meghan Riordan Jarvis, Sophia Romero, and Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich.
• Children’s author and illustrator breakfast with Kylie Lee Baker, Raj Haldar, Donna Barba Higuera, and cocreators Michael Datcher and Frank Morrison.
• Author breakfast with Antonia Hylton, Lisa Ko, Maggie Thrash, and coauthors Cassandra Khaw and Richard Kadrey.
• Education sessions focused on the bottom line and personal growth, with advice from goals (“So You Want to Own a Store Someday”) to budgeting (“Are You a Pants-er or a Plotter?”).
• NEIBA’s annual meeting, with the announcement of its Windows and Mirrors list of 20 diverse books for young readers, as well as educational programming on “Children’s Bookselling: Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow.”
• Awards Luncheon, hosted by memoirist Isaac Fitzgerald (Dirtbag, Massachusetts), honoring the finalists and winners of the New England Book Awards and other NEIBA prizes.
Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association FallCon
Denver, October 4–7
Booksellers can expect a few tweaks to MPIBA’s usual programming, such as an Edelweiss/Above the Treeline education intensive on Wednesday, just ahead of the party at a local brewpub that traditionally kicks off the conference; education roundtables for bookstore owners and managers not attending the Picks of the Lists presentations, scheduled throughout the day on Thursday; and the return of the indie-to-indie luncheon that was discontinued a number of years ago.
Highlights:
• Children’s Author and Illustrator Breakfast, with presentations by W. Bruce Cameron, Carl Hiaasen, Kizu Kibuishi, Violet Lemay, and Andrea Wang.
• Debutiful Author Lunch with a dozen debut fiction authors, hosted by Adam Vitcavage, creator of the Debutiful podcast.
• Bestsellers for Breakfast, with presentations by Betsy Gaines Quammen, Stephanie Land, Navied Mahdavian, Tim O’Brien, Nita Prose, and Scarlett St. Clair.
• Author Smorgasbord Lunch with more than a dozen authors.
• The Great Picture Book Pitch speed-dating event, featuring more than a dozen fast-talking children’s authors.
• Indie to Indie Lunch, with presentations by members of the Independent Publishers Caucus.
• Exhibit Hall guided tours and introductions on Friday morning for first-time MPIBA attendees.
• “The Expert Is In” table in the exhibit hall, staffed during trade show hours with veteran booksellers answering questions in their areas of expertise.
Midwest Independent Booksellers and Great Lakes Independent Booksellers Associations
Heartland Fall Forum
Detroit, October 18–20
After an exuberant gathering last fall in St. Louis, Heartland Fall Forum—the trade show cosponsored by MIBA and GLIBA for more than a decade—is moving northeast, to Detroit. It’s the first time Heartland will be held in the Motor City, and GLIBA executive director Larry Law promises “some big things” beyond the usual panels, roundtables, receptions, and trade show.
Highlights:
• Heartland Booksellers Awards and Voice of the Heartland Award ceremony, hosted by Isaac Fitzgerald (Dirtbag, Massachusetts).
• Opening-night reception featuring a conversation between musician Jack White and author and music critic Hanif Abdurraqib, featuring Ben Blackwell, an executive at White’s Third Man Records.
• Opening night dance party with a DJ at Third Man Records.
• Percival Everett in conversation with Phillip B. Williams.
• Eight-bookstore bus tour around the Detroit metro area: 27th Letter Books, the Book Beat, Book Suey, John K. King Used & Rare Books, Pages Bookshop, Schuler Books West Bloomfield, Sidetrack Bookstore, and Source Booksellers.
• Education panels on the art of in-conversation author events, banned books, and more, plus an interactive zine workshop.
