DAY 2 | INDUSTRY, INTERNATIONAL, LIBRARY, BOOKSELLING AND COMICS & GRAPHIC NOVELS

Welcome and Opening Keynote

"Writing and Publishing in a Time of War" featuring Andrey Kurkov, author, Grey Bees (Deep Vellum) interviewed by Ed Nawotka, Bookselling and International Editor, Publishers Weekly

Andrey Kurkov, author, Grey Bees (Deep Vellum)

Ed Nawotka, Bookselling and International Editor, Publishers Weekly

What Does a Healthy Publishing Industry Look Like?

INDUSTRY TRACK

Publishers are faring better than ever, but they're also bigger than ever. Amazon remains the dominant retail force in the business. In the U.S., our standard-bearer industry trade event, BookExpo, is no longer. Independent booksellers, having survived the pandemic, are still facing daunting issues. There’s a crushing paper shortage. Is this a healthy publishing industry? Are there players that need to be supported better? Are there alternatives?

	Donya Craddock, Co-owner, The Dock Bookshop
	Morgan Entrekin, CEO and Publisher, Grove Atlantic
	Joe Matthews, CEO, Independent Publishers Group
	Mary Rasenberger, CEO, The Authors Guild & The Authors Guild Foundation

Daniel Vazquez, senior editor, Astra House

Libraries Are Essential

With the second annual Libraries Are Essential program, the U.S. Book Show once again acknowledges a simple fact: America's libraries are more than just a key marketplace for publishers and authors, they are bedrock institutions, anchors in our communities, vital to the health of our democracy and society, and crucial to our reading and literary cultures.

The 2022 Libraries Are Essential program will run from 11 AM to 5:00 PM ET on May 24. The program will be presented in two blocks, separated by a lunchtime program, featuring an array of voices and perspectives from the library community.

The morning session will explore the rise of book banning, misinformation, educational gag orders, and other legislation targeting the work of public and school libraries across the nation. The afternoon session will focus on the post-pandemic future of libraries, including issues of worker and public safety, digital equity issues, and library leadership. The program will conclude with a keynote U.S. Congressman from Maryland Jamie Raskin, author of the #1 New York Times bestselling book Unthinkable: Trauma, Truth, and the Trials of American Democracy.

And for a special bonus session, join us on Wednesday evening, May 25 (6:45–8:00 PM ET) for a very special library-themed live session of the wildly popular Friends & Fiction author group.

View the full schedule here

The Pandemic and Publishing: How Has Covid Changed the Industry for Good?

INDUSTRY TRACK

While the scars of the pandemic are still raw, many people are trying to look ahead to a new normal. The question is, what does a "new normal" look like? With the pandemic having upended office life and decimated the supply chain, those in publishing need to ask what's next. Can the changes brought by remote working bring about positive changes in work/life balance and help diversify our workforce? Can the ongoing supply chain issues bring about new, more productive, ways of doing business?

	Jennifer Enderlin, President and Publisher, The St. Martin’s Publishing Group
	Monica Odom, Founder and Literary Agent, Odom Media Management
	Anjali Singh, Literary Agent, Ayesha Pande Literary
	Julia Sommerfeld, Publisher, Amazon Publishing

Paul Bogaards, Owner, Bogaards Public Relations LLC

Bringing the World to Your Door: A Spotlight on Arabic Literature and Culture

INTERNATIONAL TRACK

For centuries, Arabic literature and culture has influenced some of the West's most revered authors and thinkers. Why is it important that we continue to share works of this diverse culture around the world?

The Sheikh Zayed Book Award presents a panel discussion highlighting the importance of sharing Arabic literature and culture around the world, featuring translators, professors and one of this year's book award winners.

	Michael Cooperson, American author, translator and professor of Arabic language and literature at the University of California, Los Angeles
	Dr. Muhsin J. Al-Musawi, Professor of Classical and Modern Arabic Literature, Comparative and Cultural Studies, Columbia University; Recipient of the 2022 Sheikh Zayed Book Award for Arabic Culture in Other Languages
	Tahera Qutbuddin, Professor of Arabic Literature, University of Chicago

Ed Nawotka, Bookselling and International Editor, Publishers Weekly

How Books Get Covered Around the Globe

INTERNATIONAL TRACK

Book markets everywhere have much in common, from the challenges of online commerce to bestseller lists dominated by authors with internationally-recognized brands. Of course, national differences remain despite globalization. Take a world tour of the book world today with journalists and analysts who cover publishing and literary developments in Europe, Asia, South America, the Middle East and Africa.

	Andrew Albanese, Senior Writer, Publishers Weekly
	Javier Celaya, CEO and Founder, Dosdoce.com
	Fabrice Piault, Editor in Chief, Livres Hebdo
	Olivia Snaije, Journalist and Editor
	Rüdiger Wischenbart, Writer and Founder, Content and Consulting

Christopher Kenneally, Senior Director, Content Marketing, Copyright Clearance Center; Host, Velocity of Content Podcast

TikTok and Books: Has the Social Media Platform Become One of the Most Powerful Digital Marketing Tools for Books?

INDUSTRY TRACK

Over the past two-three years, TikTok has emerged as one of the most powerful platforms for driving book sales. But just how powerful is it? What books work best on it? And is this a promotional tool that's here to stay...or a flash in the marketing pan?

	Shannon DeVito, Director of Books, Barnes & Noble
	Ariele Fredman, Deputy Director of Publicity, Atria Books
	Kendra Keeter-Gray, BookToker
	Alexandra Hoopes, Manager, Social Platforms, St. Martin’s Publishing Group
	Jessie Stratton, Marketing Assistant, Penguin Press, Penguin Random House

Fauzia Burke, Owner, FSB Associates

Editors' Picks Panel: Comics & Graphic Novels

	Adventuregame: Leviathon by Jason Shiga (Abram’s Children’s) featuring Maggie Lehrman, Editorial Director, Fiction, Abram’s Children's Books
	A Career in Books: A Novel about Friends, Money, and the Occasional Duck Bun by Kate Gavino (Plume) featuring Jill Schwartzman
	Ducks by Kate Beaton (Drawn & Quarterly) featuring Peggy Burns, Publisher, Drawn & Quarterly
	Frizzy by Claribel A. Ortega and Rose Bousamra (First Second) featuring Kiara Valdez, Editor, First Second
	Men I Trust by Tommi Parish (Fantagraphics) featuring Eric Reynolds, Vice-President and Associate Publisher, Fantagraphics Books
	The Tryout by Christina Soontornvat, illustrated by Joanna Cacao (Graphix) featuring Tracy Mack, Vice-President and Publisher, Scholastic Trade Book Group
	Two-Headed Chicken by Tom Angleberger (Walker Books) featuring Susan Van Metre, Executive Editorial Director, Walker Books U.S./Candlewick Press
	Where Black Stars Rise by Nadia Shammas, illustrated by Marie Enger (Tor Nightfire) featuring Kelly Lonesome, Senior Editor, Tor Nightfire

Meg Lemke, Reviews Editor, Publishers Weekly

Curation Through Partnerships with University Presses

BOOKSELLING

Known for cultivating and building solid and symbiotic relationships with bookstores, university presses can be some of the best curation partners you have. Join a panel of booksellers and representatives from university presses as they discuss curation, partnerships, mission, finances, and — oh, yes — favorite titles.

	Clancey D'Isa, Director of Strategy and Development, Seminary Co-op Bookstores
	Catherine E. Hobbs, Columbia University Press Consortium Sales Manager, Columbia University Press
	Gianna LaMorte, Assistant Director, Sales and Marketing Manager, University of Texas Press
	Levi Stahl, Marketing Director, University of Chicago Press
	Alyson Turner, Co-owner, Source Booksellers (MI)

Adapting to Changes in Pay-per-click Advertising

Presented by

Join a panel of book marketing experts from across the industry to hear diverse perspectives on what's changed—and what hasn't!—in the rapidly-evolving world of digital advertising in the past year. How can marketers adapt as major ad platforms and other tech companies adjust their targeting options and algorithms? Which strategies work best for AMS, Facebook, BookBub Ads, and other audiences? This conversation tackles these questions and more to help marketers continue to reach relevant readers in 2022 and beyond.

	Rochelle Clark, Director of Advertising, Penguin Random House
	Nicholas Erik, USA Today Bestselling Author; Book Marketing Consultant
	Kashmira Golatkar, Digital Advertising Manager, Harlequin
	Erica Ridley, New York Times bestselling author

Carlyn Robertson, Marketing Lead, BookBub

Keynote Author Interview: Oscar Isaac

Oscar Isaac, author, Head Wounds: Sparrow (Legendary, August) in conversation with Heidi MacDonald, editor-in-chief, Comicsbeat.com, and co-host PW's More to Come podcast

Oscar Isaac, Author, Head Wounds: Sparrow (Legendary, August)

Heidi MacDonald, Editor-in-Chief, Comisbeat.com; co-host, PW Comics World: More to Come

Jim Milliot in conversation with Christopher Finan

Jim Milliot, Senior V-P, Editorial Director, Publishers Weekly, in conversation with Christopher Finan, Executive Director, National Coalition Against Censorship; author, How Free Speech Saved Democracy: The Untold History of How the First Amendment Became an Essential Tool for Securing Liberty and Social Justice (Steerforth Press).

	Christopher Finan, Executive Director, National Coalition Against Censorship; author, How Free Speech Saved Democracy: The Untold History of How the First Amendment Became an Essential Tool for Securing Liberty and Social Justice (Steerforth Press)
	Jim Milliot, Senior V-P, Editorial Director, Publishers Weekly

Book Buzz: Comics & Graphic Novels (Young Adult)

	Joris Bas Backer, Kisses for Jet: A Coming of Gender Story (Nobrow)
	Mickey George, Enola Homes (Legendary)
	Roye Okupe, Iyanu: Child of Wonder (Dark Horse)
	Shannon Watters and Branden Boyer-White, Hollow (Boom!)

Brigid Alverson, Editor, Good Comics for Kids

Tech Solutions for Store Operations

BOOKSELLING

Store operations are the necessary procedures that keep your store healthy and functioning. They can also become complicated. You may not be aware that there are a number of low-tech solutions for common problems. In this hour, booksellers will have the opportunity to hear from presenters who will provide affordable, easy-to-use and scalable technology suggestions to help run your business — and your life — more efficiently. This session is for stores of all sizes.

	Julia Davis, Owner, The Book Worm Bookstore (GA)
	Nathan Halter, Program Manager, Batch for Books U.S.
	Kelly Justice, Owner, Fountain Bookstore (VA)

Cindy Dach, CEO and Co-owner, Changing Hands Bookstore (AZ)

Bookseller of the Year and Sales Rep of the Year Announcement and Virtual Reception

INDUSTRY TRACK