#SYPConf20: That’s a Wrap!
Posted on November 15, 2020 in London
Annnnd breathe… That marks the end of SYP London’s 2020 Conference. We hope you enjoyed the last week as much as we did!
We have to start with a MASSIVE thank you to our chairs, panellists, guest bloggers and to the rest of the SYP London conference committee — without you, there is no way we could have done this! Thank you to all our speakers (and bloggers) for taking the time to be part of this during what is an unbelievably busy time of year for the industry. We really wanted to make sure that the conference this year provided advice for people looking for their first job as well as those in the early years of their career and your invaluable advice, insights and experience helped us accomplish that.
The theme for this year’s SYP London Conference was Turning the Page – Exploring the Highs and Lows of 2020 to Help Us Publish Better and our events did just that. From engaging and serious discussions to moments of humour and hope, we had a bit of everything this week.
Francis Bickmore kicked us off with a heartfelt and hopeful keynote, talking about what needs to change in our industry and inspiring us to help see those changes through – ideas that were really echoed in every event. We heard from publishing community groups like The Flip and Pride in Publishing, and internal networks like ColourFull and Access Hachette. We learnt about how independent and university publishers have been navigating the pandemic and Diane Spivey taught us all a bit more about contracts. Our live panels covered everything from the importance of publishing diverse voices and exploring opportunities outside of the traditional book world to advice on making your way up the ladder and publishing for the world. Sharmaine Lovegrove lit a fire in our bellies when she spoke to us about Dialogue Books and The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett and the teams at Hamish Hamilton wowed us when they explained everything that went into publishing Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo.
We closed our conference with multiple speakers this year. In a year where indie bookshops have had to fight harder than ever, Lighthouse Bookshop, The Portal Bookshop, Through the Wardrobe, Storytellers Inc. and Shrew Books gave us an insight into how they have coped. Booksellers are the backbone of the publishing industry so please help out and order from local and independent bookshops whenever you can. You can order from any of our closing speakers by emailing:
hello@throughthewardrobebooks.co.uk
Remember, all the recordings will be available on the attendee site until the end of December, so you can watch (and re-watch!) as you please!
Thank you so much to you, our attendees, for coming to the conference this year. We know that we had to do it differently and while we are sad we haven’t been able to see you all in person, it has been lovely to see your support and discussion online. Do let us know your favourite moments and we can’t wait to see you at more of our events in the future!
Farzana Khan and Omara Elling-Hwang – Co-Heads of Events
Applications for the SYP London 2021 committee will be opening soon. If you are interested in joining the committee, please keep an eye on our Twitter and website.
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