Author In Me’s (AIM) 2022 Literary Festival proved to be a powerhouse of industry insights with a packed programme reaching out to writers of all genres and ages.
Attended by more than 200 guests of different age range, the festival attracted representatives from Edelweiss, Sweet Cherry Publishing and The Good Literary Agency. Charities such as Empathy Lab, Listening Books and Coram Beanstalk also participated in this engaging annual literary extravaganza.
The full day event, supported by the High Commission of India, was held at London’s Nehru Centre and included discussions and live interviews as well as speakers covering many aspects of writing, well-being and storytelling.
The festival's focus was to showcase authors of diverse backgrounds, as Author In Me co-founder Monica Sood explained: :We are proud to say that there were 30 speakers, 10 inspirational talks, four book launches and three powerful panel discussions.
“The level of energy and enthusiasm, both on stage and in the audience, confirmed our belief that, through celebrating cultural diversity, we are continuing to empower South Asian voices which, up to now, have been underrepresented in this country.”
With industry experts sharing their wisdom on the world of publishing, including fiction and non-fiction for and by all ages, attendees gained first-hand knowledge of the processes that go into both writing and the finished product.
Feedback from delegates included remarks such as “I learned so much”, “fantastic platform”, “truly diverse and inclusive”, and “excellent presentations by excellent authors”.
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Ekta Bajaj, AIM co-founder, summed up the event: “We are delighted to have organised such a successful day. Our authors were given a platform on which to discuss their work and our audience was inspired by the topics and back stories they shared.
“Hopefully, some of those attending will now be encouraged to start writing! But if they aren’t sure where to begin, we offer mentoring and editorial guidance, as well as a ghost-writing service, to help writers on their way.”