The Booksellers Association Conference and Gardners Trade Show has been rescheduled again and will take place September 12-13, 2021, at Jurys Inn Hotel and Conference Centre, Hinckley Island, the Bookseller reported. Because of the Covid-19 pandemic, this year's conference had previously been shifted from September to November, and then postponed again to next spring, but following discussions both internally and with members, the BA opted for next fall.
"We are delighted to announce the dates for next year's BA Conference," said BA managing director Meryl Halls. "It has been a difficult year for booksellers, who have had to adapt to changing circumstances and restrictions, and we look forward to coming together with our members at the conference next September to celebrate their incredible hard work, creativity and perseverance."
Nigel Wyman, sales and marketing director at Gardners, added: "We have very much missed being able to gather with our bookseller friends this year, so next year will be all the more special and a true celebration of resilience. We will be working towards a packed show, with more publishers than ever before!"
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Taiwanese bookstore chain Eslite will open its first outlet in Southeast Asia, in Malaysia's capital, Kuala Lumpur, in 2022. The 6,600-square-meter (about 71,000 square foot) store will be located at the Starhill luxury gallery, developed by the YTL Corporation. For its latest project, Eslite "emphasized the close cultural links between Malaysia and Taiwan.... The fact that Malaysia is one of the five top export destinations for Taiwanese books also played a part in Eslite's decision to pick the country for the start of its Southeast Asian expansion plans," Taiwan News reported.
In a virtual ceremony this week, Joseph Yeoh, YTL land & development v-p, and Eslite Group chairperson Mercy Wu signed a tenancy agreement for the partnership, which will see the opening of the store that will take up the entire Level 1 of the Starhill, Malaysia Tatler noted.
Wu, daughter of Eslite Group founder the late Robert C.Y. Wu, commented: "We are excited about embarking on this journey in Kuala Lumpur, as Malaysians have been Taiwan's top tourist segment from Southeast Asia for 10 consecutive years and are strong supporters of our stores in Taiwan. My father once said, 'Eslite's ultimate concern is people, and the most beautiful scenery of a city is its people.' Together with the people of Malaysia, we'll create new possibilities. We hope that with longterm careful planning and development, this new store will become a beacon for cultural exchange in Southeast Asia."
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Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced that 11 areas in the country are being moved to tier four restrictions due to increases in Covid-19 infection rates, meaning all non-essential shops have to close, effective November 20 and lasting until December 11, the Bookseller reported.
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Sally Pattle, manager of Far from the Madding Crowd bookshop in Linlithgow, West Lothian, one of the affected regions, said, "Of course, there is scant information for businesses as is par for the course, so we're trying to forge ahead with plans for click and collect and constantly changing window displays, plus a marketing campaign to let people know we're not closed, we are here for everything bar browsing.... Hopefully we'll make it through this year, but as I have no idea when tier four restrictions will be lifted, I honestly don't know. At another time, I'd like to ask why the Scottish government thinks it's appropriate to make these pronouncements with no prior consultation with business organizations, or the courtesy of letting us know what's going on." --Robert Gray