Minister of State for Creative Industries to headline the Building Inclusivity in Publishing conference
The London Book Fair and the Publishers Association are delighted to announce that the Rt Hon Matt Hancock, Minister of State for Creative Industries and MP for West Suffolk, will be the keynote speaker at the Building Inclusivity in Publishing conference 2017.
Since his appointment to the Cabinet Office in July 2016, Matt Hancock MP has served at the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), where his wide-ranging responsibilities include the creative industries, broadcasting and the technology industry. He was elected in the 2010 general election and has served in a number of ministerial roles, including skills and business.
Further additions to the conference from aligned industries and the publishing industry feature Abir Mukherjee, bestselling author of the Sam Wyndham series, Alicia Wood, from not-for-profit learning disabilities organisation Dimensions UK, and Nancy Adimora, Events Manager at HarperCollins.
Back for its second year and chaired by BBC journalist Razia Iqbal, the focus of this year’s event is Reflecting All: Effecting Change. The conference will highlight the action currently being taken to improve diversity in the creative sector, while exploring what more needs to be done to ensure equal representation.
Matt Hancock, Minister of State for Creative Industries, said:
“Our world leading creative industries are at the heart of our economic and cultural life. It’s absolutely vital that the sector is open to people from all backgrounds. The Publishers Association is taking strides to address diversity and it’s great to see their members’ commitment to tackling this issue.”
Orna O’Brien, Conference Manager of The London Book Fair, said:
“The Building Inclusivity in Publishing conference is unique in the publishing calendar. It tackles some of the most important and pressing issues around diversity, accessibility and equality. For this second instalment of the conference we are delighted to welcome Matt Hancock MP and our other high profile speakers who will be fantastic additions to the programme and will add a great deal to the debate.”
Emma House, Deputy CEO of the Publishers Association, said:
“Increasing inclusivity has been a central aim for the publishing industry over the past few years, with the industry making a public commitment to tackle this issue with the launch of the inclusivity plan and targets this year. Given the efforts publishers have made in this area, we are thrilled that Matt Hancock has agreed to give the keynote speech this year. I hope the debates and insights shared at this conference help to continue to drive real change in this area.”
Building Inclusivity in Publishing is open to all those working in the book industry and the wider creative industries, and attendees include booksellers, agents, authors, literary festival and event organisers, and publishers.
Tickets are now available at: https://www.londonbookfair.co.uk/Whats-On/conferences/bipconference/
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