2026 Draft Program
Note: The program is subject to change.
For updates including session panellists ABA members can watch for announcements in the weekly member e-news.
SATURDAY
13th June 2026
12:00 – 1:00 – Registration and Welcome Lunch
1:00 – 1:10 – Conference opening – Gavin Williams, ABA President and co-owner of Matilda Bookshop
1:10 – 1:20 – Welcome to Country
1:20 – 1:40 – CEO Update – Susannah Bowen
Susannah Bowen delivers a six-month update, introduces the ABA’s new three-year strategy, and shares highlights from the association’s advocacy push.
1:40 – 2:20 – Opening Keynote – Fabian Paagman, co-president European and International Bookselling Federation (EIBF) and owner of Paagman bookshops, Netherlands
Our international guest speaker Fabian Paagman opens the conference with the story of his family’s bookselling journey. Reflecting on crisis, reinvention and growth, he explores how independent bookshops can thrive in a changing market. Drawing on business and international perspectives, he considers the forces shaping bookselling today and asks a central question: if bookshops are part of the future, what kind of bookshops do we need to build?
2:20 – 3:00 – Annual Nielsen Report – Bianca Whiteley
Sponsored by NielsenIQ BookData Australia
Always a must-see at conference, Bianca will present the annual NielsenIQ state of the industry report, analysing trends and current data around sales in the Australian market.
3:00 – 3:25 – Afternoon Tea
3:25 – 4:15 – Panel Session – Bringing Our Voice to the National Stage
Susannah Bowen (ABA, CEO) is joined by Wenona Byrne (Writing Australia, Director) and Anna Burkey (Australia Reads, CEO) to explore how bookshops sit at the heart of the reading advocacy picture. This session shares updates on Writing Australia and Australia Reads, and looks at what these developments mean for bookshops and how we can benefit from these national initiatives.
4:15 – 5:00 – Panel Session – Regional Bookshops: Thriving beyond the city
Regional booksellers share how they build strong businesses and loyal communities outside the major cities. From creative in-store events beyond author talks to attracting visitors and becoming local destinations, this bookseller panel explores how regional bookshops stand out and thrive, with practical ideas all bookshops can apply.
5:00 – 7:00 – Author Speed Dating Cocktail Reception
Meet a new wave of debut and emerging authors in this lively cocktail event at QT’s Lucky’s Speakeasy. In a relaxed speed-dating format, booksellers can mingle with participating authors, discovering new voices and stories to bring back to their communities. Collect each author’s signature along the way for the opportunity to win a prize.
Saturday evening is free time for delegates.
SUNDAY
14th June 2026
8:15 – 8:40 – Foyer – coffee and tea available
8:40 – 8:45 – Welcome back to day two
8:45 – 9:45 – Panel Session – Children’s Bookselling 101
As booksellers, we love selling children’s books, but selling them well takes knowledge, enthusiasm and teamwork. In this panel discussion, speakers share insights into how booksellers can help young readers discover great books. From understanding what booksellers need from publishers to sharing expertise across the shop floor, this session looks at selling children’s books across all ages, championing outstanding Australian titles, and building confidence in the future of children’s bookselling.
9:45 – 10:00 – TitlePage Update
An update on TitlePage upgrades from the APA’s Cat Colwell.
10:00 – 10:20 – Morning Tea – Sponsored by TitlePage
10:20 – 11:00 – Charm That Can’t Be Replicated: Creating a bookshop that invites wonder
Your bookshop tells a story, but how do you make every customer feel it the moment they walk through the door? In a world of online convenience, this panel explores what physical bookshops can offer that can’t be replicated. Booksellers, including Fabian Paagman (Paagman bookshops, Netherlands), share how they use merchandising, layout and creative touches to shape inviting spaces that encourage discovery, build connection and keep customers coming back.
11:00 – 11:45 – AI for Bookshops: a conversation
What does artificial intelligence mean for bookshops right now? In this fireside conversation, Professor Jon Whittle, author of AI for Business is joined by Fullers Bookshop’s Dr Tim Jarvis to explore how AI can be used in practical, human-centred ways. From cutting through the hype to identifying useful applications, they discuss how booksellers can approach AI with confidence, curiosity and a clear sense of purpose
11:45 – 12:00 – Indigenous Literacy Foundation presentation
The Indigenous Literacy Foundation shares an update on its work and the year ahead, including how booksellers can support and engage with its programs.
12:00 – 1:00 – Lunch
12:00 – 3:00 – Trade Exhibition – Grand Ballroom
3:00 – 3:40 – Author Panel – The Literary Weight of Secrets
Sponsored by Hachette Australia
Though very different in tone and approach, best-selling and award-winning Australian writers Brooke Davis and Favel Parrett both explore powerful aspects of the human experience in their work. In this intimate discussion with Vanessa Radnidge, Hachette’s Head of Literary, they share how secrets and silence shape their characters and enable them to explore the complexities of family and relationships. Expect an honest, emotional, funny, engaging and moving conversation.
3:40 – 4:00 – Afternoon Tea
4:00 – 4:45 – Member Forum
Susannah Bowen and the ABA management committee will discuss and take questions on the association’s initiatives and plans. Member-only session.
4:45 – 5:00 – Annual General Meeting
6:30 – 7:30 – National Museum of Australia Pre-dinner Drinks – Guest Speaker: Bruce Pascoe
Sponsored by Magabala Books
Bruce Pascoe is one of Australia’s most important and thought-provoking writers. His new book, The European Mind, brings together history, memoir and philosophy in a compelling work that takes readers on the journey from how we got here to where we might hope to go. In this conversation, Bruce reflects on the ideas behind his boldest work to date and invites us to reconsider the stories that shape Australia.
Bruce will be in conversation with Magabala CEO Dr Lily Brown
7:30 – 10:30 – National Museum of Australia Gala Dinner and Awards Night
The gala dinner MC is Myf Warhurst, joined by a guest speaker for a very special evening.
MONDAY
15th June 2026
8:00 – 8:30 – Foyer – coffee and tea available
8:30 – 9:30 – Member Workshop – Short Stories: The business of bookselling
Choose your own adventure! Pick three out of six bite-sized sessions, each one a practical, bookseller-told story from the business of bookselling. Member-only session.
9:30 – 9:35 – Welcome back to day three
9:35 – 10:20 – Panel Session – Behind the Covers: Inside the world of cookbooks
Sponsored by Allen & Unwin and Hardie Grant Books
Cookbooks are a cornerstone of bookselling, but what makes one stand out? In this panel, cookbook authors Adam Liaw and Alice Zaslavsky alongside their respective publishers Simon Davis and Jane Morrow share what goes into creating and positioning a successful cookbook. From concept and content to design and photography, this session explores how cookbooks come to life as objects of inspiration and beauty, how they reflect culture and connection, and why some become enduring favourites on customers’ shelves and in our bookshops.
10:20 – 10:40 – Morning Tea
10:40 – 11:40 – Workshop – From Passion to Practice: Skills for the future of bookselling
Booksellers thrive on passion, but success in today’s retail environment requires more than a love of books. This interactive workshop, presented by Service and Creative Skills Australia (SaCSA), explores the workforce, leadership and business capabilities needed to navigate a changing landscape. Building on last year’s conversation about balancing passion with sustainability, booksellers will be led through discussion on attracting and developing staff, leading independent businesses and preparing for the future of bookselling.
11:40 – 12:30 – Industry Forum
This closing Industry Forum brings together Patrizia Di Biase-Dyson (APA, CEO), Gavin Williams (Matilda Bookshop, and ABA president) and Fabian Paagman (EIBF co-president), chaired by Susannah Bowen (ABA, CEO) for a candid, forward-facing conversation that weaves together the themes and talking points of the past three days through the eyes of industry leaders.
12:30 – 1:00 – Closing keynote – Meg Mason
Sponsored by HarperCollins Australia
Meg Mason joins us to share her new novel, Sophie, Standing There. A favourite with independent booksellers since the success of Sorrow and Bliss, her work continues to resonate strongly with booksellers. This achingly tender, poignant, funny and bittersweet story explores love, loneliness and finding connection in the most unlikely of places.
1:00 – 2:00 – Special lunch – join Meg Mason and your conference colleagues in QT Capital Bar & Grill for a final sit-down lunch.
2:00 – Conference concludes.