03/08/2022
After a pandemic-induced hiatus, the APA’s one-day seminar on children’s publishing and bookselling, Between the Covers, Behind the Counter returns in September 2022 with in-person and online events.
The professional development and networking event will be held live in Sydney on Wednesday 14 September, and streamed online with viewing events in Brisbane and Melbourne.
Targeted at publishing professionals and booksellers with a particular interest in children's and YA books, the program is filled with sessions that aim to inspire and educate, as well as creating opportunities for discussion.
Eva Mills, Publishing Director – Books for Children and Young Adults at Allen & Unwin, said of Between the Covers, Behind the Counter:
‘We’re thrilled that this popular in-person event is returning in 2022. We’ve all had such a challenging few years for various reasons, and we know that our young people have been impacted more than most.
Given this, I’m particularly looking forward to the ‘Books in a Crisis’ and ‘Reading for Joy’ sessions as we discuss whether – and how – books can help.
The seminar also provides a rare opportunity for passionate children’s book specialists in publishing and bookselling to come together for professional development and networking.’
Megan Daley, photo courtesy Charli Burrowes
Teacher librarian Megan Daley will present a keynote ‘Reading in the Dark: Books in a crisis', and will explore the importance of books to younger readers during unsettling times, saying:
'Books are the ideal tool to equip young people with the vocabulary, empathy and understanding around dark or heavy topics such as pandemics, floods, bushfires, climate change, illness and grief. In challenging times, it is important that young people are able to articulate their feelings and understandings around some of these big life events and books give them the words when perhaps they have none of their own.'
Megan will also discuss the lighter side of books, leading a panel session on Reading for Joy, joined by an author and a teenage reader.
Other panel sessions will cover what publishers want to know about bookselling – and vice-versa, as well as what publishers and booksellers need to know about working with libraries, and what’s working with events given all the challenges of Covid.
For those who can’t make it to Sydney, satellite events at Avid Reader in Brisbane and the Australian Booksellers Association office in Melbourne will offer the opportunity to still enjoy networking alongside the sessions. For everyone else, an online live-stream will mean the sessions can be enjoyed from anywhere.
Learn more about the sessions.
Book your tickets here
Read about the last Between the Covers, Behind the Counter, held in March 2019.