By Michaela O’Callaghan, Sabeehah Saleq, Erin Evett and Rosie Burgoyne
Opening the Book: Working in Rights
21 September, 5:30 p.m.
This free online event is part of Hachette’s Opening the Book series, which aims to demystify the publishing industry and make the industry more transparent for underrepresented groups. Each event has covered a different department within publishing, with this event focusing on rights. You will hear from a group of panellists who will discuss their experiences in entry-level, mid-level and head of department roles. The discussion will cover the day-to-day tasks that the rights department work on, as well as the kind of skills that will help you to enter the industry. This is a brilliant opportunity to get to know the industry better and understand how you can get your career started. Register for free here.
An Evening with Malorie Blackman
16 September, 7:00 p.m.
Twenty years after the publication of the groundbreaking novel Noughts and Crosses, get ready for the release of the final book in the series, Endgame. Join renowned author Malorie Blackman to celebrate the release of the final instalment of the series that has gripped its readers for decades. Don’t miss out on your chance to hear Malorie discuss her experience of writing the series and to put forward your own questions! Get tickets here.
Morocco Bound Book Club September: The Days of Abandonment by Elena Ferrante
22 September, 9:00 p.m.
London, SE1 3HB
If you love translated fiction and the brilliant Elena Ferrante, you will absolutely love this event. Every month, the Morocco Bound Bookshop meets to discuss a different novel, and their September read is The Days of Abandonment. This novel captured the public of Italy, where it was first published and has gone on to be translated in the UK, where it has had the same capturing effect on the British public. If you have read Ferrante’s latest masterpiece, why not go along and discuss her novel with fellow bookworms? For more information and ticket prices, click here.
The Literary Festival Lowdown
Bath Literary Festival
June-November
Throughout the second half of September, Topping & Company Booksellers are continuing to provide fantastic events with a range of authors. Within the two weeks, they are focusing on non-fiction works. So, if you are looking to learn about something other than trade fiction, this is the perfect opportunity! Events include an evening with Cat Jarman who will be discussing her new historical book, River Kings, which reassesses the history of the Vikings. Or if fashion is more up your street, don’t miss out on the former editor of Vogue, Alexandra Shulman discussing Clothes & Other Things That Matter, her memoir, commentary on society and history of fashion. If you fancy yourself a chef, Rick Stein is hosting an evening where he will be sharing his latest recipe book, full of his favourite home-cooking recipes. There is also an evening with the bestselling Otegha Uwagba, who will be talking about her new book, We Need to Talk About Money, a memoir that looks at the culture around money and what it can tell us. Finally, for those who would rather take a morning stroll, a Jane Austen Walk is being held where you can discover more about Austen’s relationship with the city of Bath and how it influenced her novels. For more information and ticket prices, click here.
Wigtown Book Festival
22 September-4 October
This year’s Wigtown Book Festival will consist of a mixture of in-person and virtual events, from poetry and theatre to author talks and panels.
Our top picks from this year’s line-up include:
23 September – Justin A Reynolds Forever Ends on Friday (Online Event)
24 September – Festival Fireworks and Pipe Band, Mercat Cross (Town Square)
26 September – AK Blakemore The Manningtree Witches Event (County Buildings)
29 September – Paths to Publication Event (The Print Room)
1 October – Helen Sedgwick: Editing as the Creative Process (Online Event)
To get booked on to any of the above events or to view the full festival programme, visit the Wigtown Book Festival website here.
The Times and The Sunday Times Cheltenham Literature Festival
October
Cheltenham’s unmissable literary festival has also just announced its line-up of events taking place from the 8-17 October. To beat the crowds and book your spot at some of their brilliant events, visit their website to view the line-up here.
DESIblitz Literature Festival: Women of Colour in Publishing
28 September, 7:00-8:30 p.m.
This event, featuring a panel of women of colour publishing professionals including Hanah Chukwu and Farhana Shaikh, will include discussions of some of the vital issues the publishing industry faces in the wake of the findings of the ‘Rethinking Diversity in Publishing’ report released last year. Book your free place here via Eventbrite.