For independent booksellers across the country, the regional trade shows in September and October provide a chance to sneak a peak at the newest titles, brush up on business basics, master the latest technology and hobnob with colleagues, friends and authors galore. Whatever shape each regional trade show takes, tried-and-true or innovative, there is one notion everyone can agree upon—meeting at the show is the way to start the season right. The following regional trade-show summaries are listed in chronological order; an overview of “Galleys to Grab” is on page 32.

Pacific Northwest Booksellers AssociationMon., Sept. 15—Wed., Sept. 17, at the Holiday Inn Portland Airport Hotel and Conference Center, Portland, Ore.Highlights: This year's show switches from Wednesday—Friday to Monday—Wednesday. At Monday's kick-off lunch (noon—1 p.m.), Garth Stein's (The Art of Racing in the Rain) keynote address is bound to please audience members—“How Independent Stores Helped Made Me Famous... and Other Stories.” That evening, PNBA's autographing party (8:30—9:30 p.m.) spotlights more than 15 authors, plus entertainment and complimentary coffee and dessert.Educational Programming: Monday's educational programming takes place at the convention center. The “Intro for First-timers” for booksellers runs 8—8:45 a.m., with Paul Hanson and Kurtis Lowe; a similar set-up for publishers and authors is also on the agenda. Concurrent sessions are at 9 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 1:15 p.m. and 3 p.m. Focus: the bookselling-promoting-marketing connection. Sampling: “Using Social Media for Book and Author Promotions,” with Deltina Hay, and “Improving Sales to Educators and Librarians,” with Gayle Wingertner; “Green Retailing,” with ABA staffers, and “Make E-mail Marketing Painless with Co-op,” with Amy Sandberg; “Paper Books in a Digital Age,” with Clyde W. Ford, and “Eye-catching Displays and Flyers for Author Events,” with Jean Meyer-Ferro; “IndieBound,” with ABA staffers, and “Power in Numbers: Group Promos for Authors,” with 2K8 Group. The PNBA Education Committee steers an afternoon roundtable discussion on the relevancy of awards, trade shows and education programming. There are also two “pick of the lists” (9—11:45 a.m., 1:15—2:45 p.m.). Tuesday's concurrent sessions are at 9:45 a.m., 11:15 a.m., 1:45 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. Focus: bookstore-library-author collaboration. Sampling: “What Librarians Want,” with Lisa Bitney and Colin Rae, and “Working Together,” with Elizabeth Lyon; “13 Ways to Increase Event Attendance,” with Christina Katz, and “Engaging Students,” with Michele Kophs; “Choosing a Dynamic Collaborative Author,” with Julie Fast, and “Authors Discuss Their Library Experiences,” with Glenda Burgess, Deborah Hopkinson and Ron Lovell; “Boosting Attendance with New Media,” with Bill Johnson, and “The Big Read: Libraries and Bookstores Produce Group Events,” with Paul Hanson.Trade Show Details: Exhibit hours: 9:30 a.m.—4:30 p.m. on Tuesday; 9:30 a.m.—2 p.m. on Wednesday. Autographing sessions on Tuesday (4:45—5:45 p.m.) and Wednesday (9:30—11 a.m., noon—2 p.m.). The show closes Wednesday at 2 p.m.Authors, Authors: Tuesday's Book and Author Breakfast (8—9:30 a.m.) features Stephanie Kallos (Sing Them Home), Benjamin Mee (We Bought a Zoo), Rick Riordan (The 39 Clues, Book 1: The Maze of Bones) and Bob Staake (The Donut Chef). Confirmed authors for the Feast of Authors (7—9 p.m.) are Tiffany Baker, Erica Bauermeister, Bonny Becker, Lewis Buzbee, Patrick Carman, Sarah Conover, Ivan Doig, Jamie Ford, Susan Jane Gilman, Kristin Hannah, William L.I. Hensley, Alan Jacobson, Kirsten Menger-Anderson, Eric Nylund, Stewart O'Nan, Ron Rash, Jennie Shortridge, John Soennichsen, Mark Sullivan and David Wolman. Wednesday is “Author Promotion Day” on the exhibit floor. At Wednesday's breakfast (8—9:30 a.m.): Kim Barnes (A Country Called Home), Chelsea Cain (Sweetheart), John Bemelmans Marciano (Madeline and the Cats of Rome) and Candace Savage (Bees). The complementary Celebration of Authors (11a.m.—noon) features John Addiego, Glenda Burgess, Stuart Archer Cohen, Diane Drummond, Jonathan Evison, Miriam Gershow, Debra Gwartney, Thor Hanson, S. Thomas Russell and B.T. Shaw.Also of Interest: On Monday, PNBA's annual membership meeting starts at 4:45 p.m.Contact: Thom Chambliss (info@pnba.org); (541) 683-4363; www.pnba.org.Mountains & Plains Independent Booksellers Association
Wed., Sept. 17—Sat., Sept. 20, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Highlights: The show moves from downtown Denver to Colorado Springs, with spectacular views of Pike's Peak.
Educational Programming: Sessions are planned for Wednesday and Thursday. Wednesday's segment starts at 2:30 p.m., with a panel on employee training. During the same time slot, ABC's Kristen McLean presents “Getting the Best from Your Children's Section.” At 4:15 p.m., two workshops cover co-op and selling used books online. Thursday begins with a 7:30 a.m. continental breakfast and IndieBound workshop sponsored by the ABA. Speakers: Avin Mark Domnitz, Paige Poe and Ricky Leung. At 8:45 a.m., it's “Bookselling in Challenging Times.” Then at 10:30 a.m., Jennifer Hart (bookclubgirl.com) from HarperCollins leads a multi-part workshop on digital marketing, while in another meeting room practiced regional booksellers and event coordinators share tips and guidelines on authorless events. Two “pick of the lists” are on the agenda: Thursday (1:45—5 p.m.) and Friday (8:45—11:30 a.m.), thus concluding this portion of the show.
Trade Show Details: Exhibit hours: 1:30—5 p.m. on Friday, and 9:30 a.m.—12:30 p.m. and 1:30—5 p.m. on Saturday. Autographing sessions are held in conjunction with the Thursday and Friday author receptions (5—7 p.m.). The show closes Saturday at 5 p.m.
Authors, Authors: Show organizers plan a stellar array from start to finish. Thursday and Friday's receptions (5—7 p.m.) just hint as to what's in store. On Wednesday at 1 p.m., physicist Frank Wilczek (The Lightness of Being) shares theories about the essential nature of reality. At 6 p.m., cocktails precede the Children's Author and Illustrator Dinner beginning at 7 p.m. Guest speakers: J.otto Seibold (Vunce Upon a Time) and Rick Riordan (The 39 Clues, Book 1). Friday's breakfast (7:30—8:30 a.m.) billed as “croissants and conversation with authors,” features Pulitzer finalist Kim Barnes (In the Wilderness) and Outside magazine's Steven Rinella (American Buffalo). At Friday's Regional Book Awards Luncheon (11:45 a.m.—1:15 p.m.), Aryn Kyle (God of Animals) receives the adult fiction award, with other awards going to Joseph M. Marshall III (The Day the World Ended at Little Big Horn) for nonfiction; Jim Keen (Great Ranches of the West) for the arts; Susan Williams (Wind Rider) for children's; and Pat Mora (Adobe Odes) for poetry. Also on Friday: the Gordon Saull Awards Presentation and Author Reception (5—7 p.m.). Saturday's Author Breakfast for Literacy (8—9:30 a.m.): Chuck Klosterman (Downtown Owl), John Hodgman (More Information Than You Require) and Laura Pedersen (Buffalo Gal). Meal sponsors include Chronicle Books, Fulcrum, Penguin Group (USA), Scholastic and Simon & Schuster.
Also of Interest: MPIBA general meeting and lunch, Thursday at 12:15 p.m., courtesy of Partners/West. Saturday's lunchtime alternative: a showing of the documentary Paperback Dreams; exhibit hall closed 12:30—1:30 p.m.
Contact: Lisa D. Knudsen (lisa@mountainsplains.org); (800) 752-0249; www.mountainsplains.org.
New England Independent Booksellers Association
Thurs., Sept. 18—Sat., Sept. 20, at the Hynes Convention Center, Boston.
Highlights: NEIBA celebrates its 35th annual trade show in Boston with event sponsors Baker & Taylor, Bookazine, BookStream, HarperCollins, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Co., Ingram Book Co., MIT Press, Penguin Group, Random House and Yale University Press. Thursday's newly configured programming starts at 10:30 a.m. Instead of the usual kick-off with a solo speaker, this year HarperCollins' president and CEO Brian Murphy and Harper Studio president and publisher Bob Miller join Roxanne Coady and other prominent booksellers on stage to exchange views on publishing. At Thursday's Awards Luncheon (noon—2:30 p.m.): David Macaulay (Mosque) accepts NEIBA's Lifetime Achievement Award, with other awards going to Alice Hoffman for fiction; Nathan Philbrick for nonfiction; Tomie dePaola for children's; and Down East Enterprises for publishing.
Educational Programming: Thursday is the show's “education day” (10:30 a.m.—5 p.m.). Session topics include: handselling children's books, merchandising nonbook and ancillary products, blogging do's and don'ts and surviving tough times. Also, an ABA representative conducts a roundtable dialogue on Indie Bound. Another installment is slated for Friday 3—5:30 p.m.. This time the focus is on children's books, with publicists, marketers and reps Deb Shapiro (Bloomsbury Children's), Jason Wells (Abrams Books), Kathy Space (Penguin Books), Katie McGary (Simon & Schuster) and Linda Magram (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt); Vicky Uminowicz of Titcomb's Bookshop leads the discussion. ABA staffers and workshop attendees explore consumer behavior at an afternoon session, 4:15—5:30 p.m.
Trade Show Details: Exhibit hours: 11 a.m.—5:30 p.m. on Friday; 10 a.m.—3 p.m. on Saturday. Autographing sessions on Friday and Saturday afternoons (hours TBA). The show closes Saturday at 3 p.m.
Authors, Authors: Confirmed authors at Thursday's Children's Author and Illustrator Reception and Dinner (6—10 p.m.): Laurie Halse Anderson (Chains), Jeanne Birdsall (The Penderwicks on Gardam Street) and Norton Juster (Sourpuss and Sweetie Pie). This annual gala will be held in the Sheraton Hotel Ballroom. At Friday's Breakfast with Authors (8—9:30 a.m.): Suzanne Collins (The Hunger Games), David Hackett Fischer (Champlain's Dreams) and E.O. Wilson (The Superorganism). Food for Thought Books co-owner Mitch Gaslin hosts. That evening's author reception (6—8 p.m.): Alex Beam, Elise Broach, David Ebershoff, Lisa Gardner, Julia Glass, Joyce Hinnefeld, Jill Lepore and Jane Kamensky, Brian Lies, Askold Melnyczuk, Stewart O'Nan, Irene Pepperberg, Ariel Sabar, Beth Teitell, Jenna Woginrich and Baron Wormser. At Saturday's breakfast (8—9:30 a.m.): Wally Lamb (The Hour I First Believed), Dennis Lehane (The Given Day) and Kathleen Norris (Acedia & Me). Dick Hermann of Oblong Books & Music welcomes early-risers.
Also of Interest: Publisher picks (NEIBA's version of “pick of the lists”): Friday (3—4:15 p.m.) and Saturday (10—11:15 a.m., 1—2:15 p.m.). Show attendees are encouraged to pick up information about the NEIBA Grant Program and NEIBA Peer Review Program, as well as the holiday catalogue.
Contact: Steve Fischer (steve@neba.org) or Nan Sorensen (nan@neba.org); (781) 316-8894; www.newenglandbooks.org.
New Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association
Sun., Sept. 21 and Mon., Sept. 22, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel, Cherry Hill, N.J.
Highlights: Show attendees make the trek to central New Jersey to gather “great ideas” from experienced booksellers and publishers. The programming starts on Saturday (6—8 p.m.) when novice booksellers tag up with a team of veteran “book buddies,” talking about real issues, then continues Sunday at NAIBA's hour-long morning show (9:45 a.m.) when John Mutter from Shelf Awareness interviews Jonathon Welch of Talking Leaves and Erika Davis of Creekside Books & Coffee.
Educational Programming: Sessions take place on Sunday. The morning (11 a.m.—12:15 p.m.) is dedicated to reps' and booksellers' “pick of the lists.” Marketing tips (for children's books, tween reads and adult titles) are plentiful at this booksellers' favorite. The afternoon's panels and workshops, sponsored by Baker & Taylor and Random House, are slated for 2:30—5:45 p.m. Topics range from authorless events to “thought leadership” marketing (children's books) to tween literature. An ABA representative conducts a “bookstore self-audit” at 2:30 p.m., followed by an IndieBound bookseller session at 4:15 p.m. Concurrent roundtables at which store owners, frontline booksellers and book buyers choose the topics complete the afternoon. On Monday, another “pick of the lists” is slated for the 8 a.m. breakfast, followed by NAIBA's annual meeting.
Trade Show Details: Exhibit hours: 9:30 a.m.—4 p.m. on Monday. Autographing sessions are held during exhibit hours.
Authors, Authors: Attendees arriving early can attend Saturday night's 8 p.m. buffet featuring Ann M. Martin (Main Street series), Brian Selznick (The Invention of Hugo Cabret) and Mariah Stewart (Last Words), courtesy of BookStream. Show organizers add a new feature to Sunday's line-up—the day now starts with a children's author breakfast (8:30—9:30 a.m.). Penguin Books for Young Readers hosts the coffee and bagel gathering, featuring Jay Asher (Thirteen Reasons Why), T.A. Barron (Merlin's Dragon), Loren Long (Drummer Boy) and Cameron Tuttle (Paisley Hanover Acts Out). The three-course “moveable feast” luncheon at 12:30 p.m. is sponsored by HarperCollins. Confirmed authors: Da Chen, Oscar Hijuelos, Joyce Hinnefeld, David Liss, John Scalzi, Charles R. Smith Jr., Matt Weiland, Debbie Lee Wesselman and Michael Wexler. NAIBA pays tribute to publisher Morgan Entrekin at Sunday's awards banquet (7:30—9:30 p.m.), along with recipients of NAIBA's Book of the Year Awards. The Helmuth Sales Rep of the Year Award will be presented at the opening reception and exhibit sneak preview (6—7:30 p.m.) preceding the awards banquet. Thanks to Bookazine and Ingram Book Co., post-banquet merriment continues as diners join thriller/crime/mystery writers Alafair Blake (Angel's Tips), Louis Bayard (The Black Tower) and Michael Byrnes (The Sacred Blood) at the NAIBA “noir bar.” Another new item: authors who have received booksellers' “seal of approval” will have their titles on display during exhibit hours.
Also of Interest: On Saturday, NAIBA and Bookazine have arranged a “night out” for booksellers to visit area bookstores (6—8 p.m.). On Monday (9:30 a.m.—4 p.m.), an encore of last year's popular children's author and illustrator show-and-tell is planned.
Contact: Eileen Dengler (info@naiba.com); (516) 333-0681; www.newatlanticbooks.com.
Midwest Booksellers Association
Thurs., Sept. 25—Sat., Sept. 27, at RiverCentre, St. Paul, Minn.
Highlights: On Thursday, the fourth annual Midwest Booksellers' Choice Awards Ceremony (6—7:30 p.m.) takes center stage. Close to a dozen awards are given. Authors in the spotlight: Joy Morgan Dey and Nikki Johnson, Kate DiCamillo, Leif Enger, Jody Feldman, Patricia Hampl, Nancy Horan, Lesley Kagen, Mildred Armstrong Kalish, Deborah Keenan, Ted Kooser and Anne Ylvisaker. The event is open to all registered attendees.
Educational Programming: Sessions run on Thursday (11:30 a.m.—5:30 p.m.) and Friday (3:10—4:30 p.m.), sponsored by Random House and jointly managed by the MBA and ABA. MBA presents: “A Complaint Is a Gift,” with Janelle Barlow, and “Business Books = Sales,” with Jack Covert and Todd Sattersten (co-authors of The 100 Best Business Books of All Time). Other topics: “thought leadership” marketing, merchandising and display, and green retailing. ABA offers “IndieBound—An Update,” “Booksellers at the Tipping Point,” “Local First Initiatives” and “E-commerce Solutions.” Two “picks of the lists” on Friday (9:45—11:45 a.m., 2—3 p.m.) are followed by the “Midwest Connections” marketing workshop (3:10—4:30 p.m.).
Trade Show Details: Exhibit hours: 10 a.m.—6 p.m. on Saturday. Formal autographing sessions are held in conjunction with Friday's cocktail reception (5:30—7:10 p.m.); informal autographing sessions (in booth) Saturday during exhibit hours. Show closes Saturday at 6 p.m. (with reception).
Authors, Authors: The annual “moveable feast” takes place at Friday's luncheon (noon—1:45 p.m.). Co-authors Peter Feldstein and Stephen G. Bloom (The Oxford Project) and David Mura (Famous Suicides of the Japanese Empire) preside at the speakers' table, while more than 30 adult and children's authors mingle with booksellers. Partial list: Jerry Apps, Tony Bender, Kurt Michael Friese, Nicole Helget, Pamela Carter Joern, Dale Mulfinger, Olen Steinhauer, Gigi Amateau, Alison Feigh, Ingrid Law, Sarah Prineas and Laura Schaefer. Authors at Friday's Book and Author Dinner (7:15—9:30 p.m.) include Roy Blount Jr. (Alphabet Juice), Leif Enger (So Brave, Young, and Handsome), Stewart O'Nan (Songs for the Missing) and Anne Roiphe (Epilogue). The pre-dinner cocktail reception at 5 p.m. features the “Midwest Connections” authors Spike Carlsen, Laura Childs, Patrick Culhane, Monica Ferris, Lesley Kagen, Thomas Maltman, Tom Swift and Kao Kalia Yang. At Saturday's children's breakfast (8—9:30 a.m.): John Green (Paper Towns), Polly Horvath (My One Hundred Adventures), Laurie Keller (The Scrambled States of America Talent Show) and Patrick McDonnell (South).
Also of Interest: Organizers bring back the “let's talk” breakfast between booksellers, publishers and vendors on Friday (8—9:30 a.m.). That afternoon, at 4:45 p.m., the MBA general membership meets for a half hour before the socials.
Contact: Susan Walker (UMBAoffice@aol.com); (800) 784-7522; www.midwestbooksellers.org.
Southern Independent Booksellers Alliance
Fri., Sept. 26—Sun., Sept. 28, at the Renaissance Riverview Plaza Hotel, Mobile, Ala.
Highlights: New this year: the Retailers Place with Cookbook Corner, sponsored by Baker & Taylor. Booksellers meet notable cookbook authors while learning about the newest online solutions. Featured: Bill Hufnagle (Biker Billy's Roadhouse Cookbook), Helen Puckett DeFrance (At Home Gatherings for Family and Friends), Janis Owens (The Cracker Kitchen) and Damon Lee Fowler (The Savannah Cookbook).
Educational Programming: Start Thursday with bookseller schooling (9 a.m.—4 p.m.) sponsored by Bookazine. Then jump into Friday's programming sponsored by Random House. Class times: 9:45 a.m., 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 4 p.m.; each time slot offers four concurrent sessions. The 9:45 a.m. segment includes presentations on “Gen Z” readers, budgeting and monitoring cash flow, and inventory management. In one workshop, Page & Palette's Karin Wilson shares tips on strategies to save time and money. At 11 a.m.: YA reader outreach, memoirs and romance—and a “surprise” author panel. There are several half-hour table-work sessions planned throughout the day on e-commerce solutions, Visual Anthology software, ABA's IndieBound, WNBA's National Reading Group Month and gift products. The afternoon track offers author-driven panels on children's books, the tween thriller genre and topical nonfiction. There are two marketing sessions—“100,001 Book Project Explained and Explored” with Nicki Leone (aka Miss Lady Banks), and “Winter Titles,” with Steve Forman (Boca Night) and Nicole Seitz (A Hundred Years of Happiness)—at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., respectively.
Trade Show Details: Exhibit hours: 9 a.m.—noon (blue badge holders only) and 2—5 p.m. on Saturday; 9 a.m.—noon on Sunday. Autographing sessions are held in conjunction with Sunday's “moveable feast” (feast, noon—2 p.m.; signings, 2—3 p.m.). The show closes Sunday at 3 p.m.
Authors, Authors: On Friday, T.A. Barron (Merlin's Dragon) and Rick Bragg (The Prince of Frogtown) greet show-goers at the kick-off lunch (noon—2 p.m.). The same spirit abounds at the 5:30 p.m. shindig when Amy Dickenson (The Mighty Queens of Freeville) joins David Fuller (Sweetsmoke) and Maryann McFadden (The Richest Season). Authors at the Hachette Group-sponsored SIBA dinner (7—9 p.m.): E. Lynn Harris (Just Too Good to Be True; Basketball Jones) and Tom Piazza (City of Refuge). At Saturday's Breakfast of Champions (7:30—9 a.m.): Deva Gantt (A Silent Ocean Away) and Ron Rash (Serena). Children's Book and Author Luncheon (noon—2 p.m.): John Bemelmans Marciano (Madeline and the Cats of Rome) and Ann M. Martin (The Secret Book Club). Saturday's “drop-in” event (6—7 p.m.) features author-to-author interviews with Katherine Neville and Steve Berry. Then it's the “fire and brimstone” SIBA BBQ at 7 p.m. for some hot ribs and cool drinks—and ear-catching stories from Frank Durham (Cain's Version), Clyde Edgerton (The Bible Salesman) and Diane Wilson (Holy Roller). Author-event sponsors: Chelsea Green, Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins, Hyperion Books and Turner Publishing. Sunday's Moveable Feast of Authors (noon—2 p.m.), sponsored by Ingram Book Co., includes Charles H. Banov, Marvelyn Brown, William Conescu, John Shelton Reed and Dale Vollberg Reed, Melissa J. Delbridge, Kip Gayden, Joyce Hinnefeld, Watt Key, Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe, Julia Oliver, Rose Senehi, Diane Z. Shore and Padma Viswanathan.
Also of Interest: At Friday's industry breakfast (8—9:30 a.m.), SIBA holds its annual membership meeting. A “rep around” breakfast (7:30—9 a.m.) is planned for Sunday—all are welcome.
Contact: Wanda Jewell (SIBAJewell@siba.com); (803) 779-0118; www.sibaweb.com.
Great Lakes Booksellers Association
Fri., Oct. 3—Sun., Oct. 5, at the Hyatt Regency, Dearborn, Mich.
Highlights: Early comers can catch a double feature—Paperback Dreams (the hour-long documentary about indie bookselling) and the latest from Powell's Out of the Box Series—on Thursday's film night.
Educational Programming: Track-specific classes—technology, management, operations and content—run Friday and Sunday, starting with “Ideas That Work” at 9:30 a.m. At 10:30 a.m., ABA personnel offer a crash course on e-commerce while GBLA instructors conduct workshops on sidelines and title management. After lunch, ABA presents IndieBound. Topics at the 2 p.m. sessions include B2B solutions and e-mail newsletters. At 3 p.m., there's ABA's “bookstore self-audit,” along with workshops on catalogue and Web site basics. At 4 p.m., store buyers announce their picks of the year at “What's the Buzz?” Three concurrent panels take place Sunday (10—10:50 a.m.) on co-op, children's books and mysteries. Everyone is encouraged to participate in the roundtable discussions wedged between morning courses and afternoon signings (11 a.m.—12:30 p.m.).
Trade Show: Exhibit hours: 9:30 a.m.—12:30 p.m. and 2—5 p.m. on Saturday. Autographing sessions on Friday (5:10—5:50 p.m.) and Sunday (12:40—2 p.m.). The show closes Sunday at 2 p.m.
Authors, Authors: Friday's annual Great Lakes Book Awards Luncheon runs 11:30 a.m.—12:50 p.m. John Grogan (The Longest Trip Home) is keynote speaker at Friday's Author Moveable Feast (7:30—9:30 p.m.); more than 25 authors are invited. Partial list: Steve Amick, Denise Brennan-Nelson, Kelly DiPucchio, Joseph Heywood, William Kent Krueger, Janice Lynne Lundy, Donald Ray Pollock, Pamela Todd, Thrity Umrigar, Dirk Wales, Cinda Williams Chima and Ed Zotti. Diners will pick up their signed books at the post-fête “meet the authors.” Roaming booksellers drop by the booth dedicated to regional authors during Saturday's course. Amy Dickinson (The Mighty Queens of Freeville), Brad Meltzer (The Book of Lies), Tim Dorsey (Nuclear Jellyfish) and Stewart O'Nan (Songs for the Missing) are at Saturday's Booksellers Banquet. Dinner starts at 7 p.m. Guests are welcome to the pre-dinner reception at 5:30 p.m., featuring Brendan Short (Dream City) in the Reading Room. At Sunday's Children's Book and Author Breakfast (7:45—9:30 a.m.): Laurie Halse Anderson (Chains), Suzanne Collins (The Hunger Games) and Jerry Pinkney (The Moon over Star).
Also of Interest: Novice attendees learn the ins-and-outs from more seasoned show-goers at Friday's 8:30 a.m. breakfast. GLBA launches its bookseller-recognition award at Saturday's Breakfast with the Board (7:30—9:15 a.m.). A silent auction on Saturday afternoon (3:30—4:30 p.m.) benefits GLBA's First Amendment Defense Fund. The Quiz Bowl returns—on the docket at 9 p.m. Saturday evening.
Contact: Joan Jandernoa (joanj@books-glba.org) or Jim Dana (jimd@books-glba.org); (800) 745-2460; www.books-glba.org.
Northern California Independent Booksellers Association
Fri., Oct. 3—Sun., Oct. 5, at the Oakland Convention Center and Oakland Marriott City Center, Oakland, Calif.
Highlights: New to the show floor—a quadrant dedicated to local independent publishers. This arrangement puts an interesting spin on “indie booksellers and publishers are better together.” A casual gathering is planned before activities get under way.
Educational Programming: As per custom, Friday is Education Day. Sessions are scheduled at 10 a.m., 11:15 a.m., 1:30 p.m. and 2:45 p.m. ABA presents a program on print-on-demand publishing for bookstores. Carl Lennertz from HarperCollins moderates a panel on “a day in the life of an editor.” ABC presents a program on children's bookselling. Then Bill Tancer (Click) takes his turn, with a discussion about online trends and data application. Alan Beatts, owner of Borderlands Books, leads a workshop on emergency preparedness in the workplace. While the usual co-op session goes on in another room, time has been carved out from the packed agenda for an IndieBound user group and several roundtable discussions. The traditional “rep picks” is now on Saturday's agenda (4:15—5:45 p.m.); presentations fall under such categories as “Best Sleeper Title,” “Best Book Club Book,” “Favorite New Book”—and more.
Trade Show Details: Exhibit hours: 10 a.m.—4 p.m. on Saturday; 10 a.m.—3 p.m. on Sunday. Autographing sessions are held on Saturday (10 a.m.—3:30 p.m.) and on Sunday (10 a.m.—2:30 p.m.). The show closes Sunday at 3 p.m.
Authors, Authors: Lunch on Friday—Van Jones (The Green-Collar Economy) is keynote speaker. At Friday's Welcome Reception (5:30—7 p.m.), Gregory Xavier Robillard (Captain Freedom) officially opens the show. Confirmed authors at Saturday's breakfast (8—10 a.m.): Katherine Neville (The Fire), Kathleen Norris (Acedia & Me) and Congresswoman Barbara Lee (Renegade for Peace and Justice). The Saturday Author Reception (6—7:30 p.m.) features Tiffany Baker, Annie Barrows, Josh Bazell, Ben Boos, Alan Brennert, Lewis Buzbee, Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin, Nafisa Haji, Stephanie Kallos, Tilar Mazzeo, Marcia Muller, Pat Murphy, Ariel Sabar, Sunny Schwartz, Abraham Verghese, Hank Wagner and Chris Olden and Rick Wartzman. Speakers from Friday's social events join the crowd, too. Sunday's Children's Author Breakfast (8—10 a.m.): David Carter (The Big Bug Book; Yellow Square), Neil Gaiman (The Graveyard Book) and Simms Taback (Simms Taback's Great Big Book of Spacey, Snakey, Buggy Riddles).
Also of Interest: At Friday's end (4:30—5:30 p.m.), NCIBA holds its annual membership meeting and gives its awards for outstanding handselling and event programming. The Debi Echlin Award for Community Bookselling is also presented. Put off departing early until Sunday's Cookbook Celebration (1—2 p.m.)—it's a chance to sample morsels from selected cookbooks.
Contact: Hut Landon (office@nciba.com);(415) 561-7686; www.nciba.com.
Southern California Independent Booksellers Association
Sat., Oct. 18, at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel, Los Angeles
Highlights: The beautiful Biltmore Hotel again sets the stage for SCIBA's fall meeting and annual author fête. Baker & Taylor, Ingram Book Co., HarperCollins/Children's, Partners/West, Penguin Group for Young Readers, Scholastic and Random House sponsor the affair.
Educational Programming: At 9 a.m., Deb Lewis from Penguin's B2B sales department teams with Terry Gilman of Mysterious Galaxy and Robert Tyson Cornell of Book Soup to discuss “10 Great Things Booksellers Can Do.” ABA staffers then present their road show—”Connecting to Your Customer and Community with IndieBound.” Kristen McLean from American Booksellers for Children moderates two morning programs—“Getting the Most Out of Your Children's Section” and “Graphic Novels for Children,” at 10 a.m. and at 11:10 a.m., respectively. Matthew Holm, author and illustrator of the Babymouse series, joins McLean for the second program.
Trade Show Details: Exhibit hours: 1:30—7:30 p.m. Autographing sessions: 2:30—7 p.m.
Authors, Authors: The day's literary menu: the Authors Lunch at 12:15 p.m., the annual Authors Feast and Book Awards Dinner at 7:30 p.m. At lunch, Mary E. Pearson (The Adoration of Jenna Fox) is “mistress of ceremony” to Jamie Lee Curtis (Big Words for Little People), Dorothea Benton Frank (The Christmas Pearl), Loren Long (Drummer Boy) and Brandon Sanderson (Alcatraz Versus the Scrivener's Bones). A 6 p.m. reception prior to the banquet offers Dean Koontz as the main attraction, signing copies of Bliss to You: Trixie's Guide to a Happy Life. Then there's the Authors Feast and Book Awards Dinner (7:30—9:30 p.m.); T. Jefferson Parker (L.A. Outlaws) does the honors. Award categories include fiction, mystery and nonfiction; children's fiction and children's picture books. Organizers expect more than 50 authors, including Gustavo Arellano, Colleen Dunn Bates, Bill Boyarsky, David Benioff, Roy Freirich, Jonathan Kirsch, Jordan Mechner, Mark Sarvas, April Smith, John Villani, Joseph Wambaugh and Tom Zimmerman; Dean Lorey, Carolyn Marsden, Rafael Lopez, Kadir Nelson, Ann Whitford Paul and Pam Muñoz Ryan. Everyone leaves with gift boxes.
Also of Interest: At the 8:30 a.m. continental breakfast, sales reps present their “picks of the children's lists.”
Contact: Jennifer Bigelow (jbigelow@scbabooks.org); (626) 793-8435; www.scibabooks.org.