Top authors at London road show linking libraries and publishers

   Brigit Keenan, Lottie Moggach, Saskia Sarginson, Lisa Jewell, Damian Barr, Joanna Rees, Sue Jones (The Reading Agency)

Publishers, librarians and writers including Lottie Moggach (Picador), Damian Barr (Bloomsbury) and Lisa Jewell (Cornerstone) attended The Reading Agency’s latest ‘road show’ event linking publishers, librarians and writers. Held yesterday (21 November) at Swiss Cottage Library in north London, the road show provided a vital forum to build relationships for running exciting events, promotions and projects for adult readers.

Publishers represented at the event were Bloomsbury; Book Guild; Cornerstone; Harlequin, Mills and Boon; John Murray Press; Little, Brown; Pan Macmillan; Penguin General; Profile and Transworld. Each attending publisher gave a presentation about their latest titles, together with displays and giveaways, plus ‘speed-meeting’ between libraries and publishers. The event was sponsored by Bertram Library Services, with the London Borough of Camden playing host at Swiss Cottage Library.

Independent charity The Reading Agency began its programme of road shows in 2008, to give publishers the opportunity to promote new titles directly to librarians, build new library contacts and support librarians to promote lesser known titles to their readers. Librarians get the chance to learn about new authors and new titles, make publisher contacts and meet and talk directly to children's authors.

"Our road shows provide a great opportunity for librarians to learn about new authors and new titles, make publisher contacts and meet and talk directly with authors. This event offered a stellar line-up of authors for librarians to meet, and was a really interesting, stimulating and useful day,” says Sandeep Mahal, who leads The Reading Agency’s work with book publishers and libraries.