FutureBook – For Leaders and Future Leaders

This year’s Bookseller FutureBook conference had a very specific audience in mind - leaders and future leaders – and if the day was anything to go by, we should all be incredibly hopeful for the future leadership of this industry. Packed with insight, brimming with passion for diversity and bursting with courage for tackling the big questions around AI, this year’s FutureBook conference was a sign to us all that the publishing industry is here and ready to be at the forefront of cultural creativity. 

The event had a special focus on AI, and with good reason. Not a day goes by currently where AI isn’t discussed in some capacity. An early Keynote from Shimmr’s CEO, Nadim Sadek, set the tone beautifully as we very honestly heard about some of the dangers and risks that AI can pose, while being utterly inspired and excited about the opportunities. With a smile on his face, he challenged us all to take a moment for existential reflection which, although was a big start to a Monday morning, does open up some very interesting questions… what can we start doing with our lives, or perhaps days, if more of our tasks are executed by AI? Lots of us will jump at the chance for more reading of course! As recruiters, we are very interested in what this might mean for our roles and jobs within the industry; the opportunity to spend more time being human and spend even more energy on all the wonderful things about being a person and building real relationships that AI cannot do, is incredibly thought provoking and exciting. Indeed, this was a theme throughout the day, across several of the panels – AI is an excellent facilitator, it is brilliant way to ‘brainstorm’ ideas, it can reduce some of your biased thoughts, it can alleviate operational tasks…. But it is not human. It is ultimately bringing together the average of all the averages it can source, it cannot replace the true creativity of a human brain. 

The day’s focus on leadership was so perfectly coupled with AI as the industry looks to multiple places to be led through the constantly evolving technology that AI is driving. We look to our CEOs, we look to industry bodies such as the Publishers Association, the Alliance for Intellectual Property and The Society of Authors, and we look to our wider workforce – our future leaders – for current and fresh ideas, grassroots up. At the FutureBook conference, we heard from them all and about more than just AI. Indeed diversity, particularly gender equity, and also audio, were key themes of the day. We were lucky enough to hear from the likes of Sophie Williams and The Flip who dedicate their time to gender equity at the leadership level. This is obviously of huge interest to us as something we are deeply passionate about and something we have indeed written about ourselves and so it was incredible to hear from these speakers, learning further perspectives on the topic. The need to create more inclusive leadership cultures is still very apparent, to set women up for more success without having to face a ‘glass cliff’. Real life examples of this were showcased on the panel about Sales in Publishing, by Women in Publishing. Watching four incredible women talk with such energy, laughter and comradery about sales felt truly triumphant and a reminder of the genderless skills that make sales such a brilliant career path for anyone of any gender who loves talking about books, building relationships, is able to pivot quickly and is ready for a challenge (not to mention having a lot of fun along the way!). 

Most of us will remember the growth in Audio a few years ago and it’s wonderful to see this returned as such a focus for the industry. It was truly exciting to witness an industry brimming with innovation, expansion, and the emergence of new products.  The accessibility that audio offers remains such a great opportunity to bring more books to more people and the developments that can be made in this arena with AI could see audio rocket even further! The way Spotify has jumped into the realm of audio books without much opens up some a potential treasure trove of opportunity to publishers in terms of tapping into backlists for further captivating audio adaptations.

Proof was in the pudding with just how instant audio is becoming as a live podcast with David Shelley, Hachette UK and also now Hachette Book Group’s CEO, took place on site! 

Here at Inspired we are just that. Inspired by the future of publishing, the future course that the current leaders are chartering for us and the future leaders who have such passion for the industry to become a cultural role model on every level. 

Congratulations to all the award winners: Footnote Press, Orion’s Debut Writers Academy, Trapeze’s Katie Packer and Simon & Schuster’s Polly Osborn. 

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