The Thursday Breakfast featuring publisher rep picks is followed by panels such as planning bookstore crawls; developing a strong membership program; operating a bookstore in the time of fascism; graphic novels; nontraditional events in bookstores; and more.
From 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., in the Circana BookScan Market Trends, Retail Insights, and Growth Strategies for 2026 featured talk, Circana's Brenna Connor will discuss book sales trends, retail insights from other industries, and more in a session created especially for indie booksellers.
From 1-2:30 p.m., the Lunchtime Author Reception features a range of authors and illustrators who will talk with booksellers and sign copies of their new and forthcoming titles
The Closing Keynote, This, Too, Can Be a Place of Transformation: Finding Wonder in the Unexpected, from 4:45-5:30 p.m. on Thursday features author Aimee Nezhukumatathil in conversation with Isaac Fitzgerald--"a celebration of poetry, nature, and the unexpected beauty that can be found in the darkest times."
|
|
| Aimee Nezhukumatathil | |
Aimee Nezhukumatathil is the author of two illustrated essay collections, Bite by Bite and World of Wonders, which was a Kirkus Prize finalist and B&N Book of the Year. She has also published four poetry collections and was poetry editor for the magazines Orion and Sierra. Nezhukumatathil has been an English and creative writing professor for 25 years. She is of Filipina and Malayali Indian descent and lives in Oxford, Miss. Ecco will publish her latest book, Night Owl: Poems, on March 31, 2026.
 |
|
| Isaac Fitzgerald | |
Isaac Fitzgerald is best known for his 2022 memoir Dirtbag, Massachusetts, which was a New York Times bestseller. He is also author of the children's book How to Be a Pirate as well as the co-author of Pen & Ink: Tattoos and the Stories Behind Them, and Knives & Ink: Chefs and the Stories Behind Their Tattoos. Fitzgerald's writing has appeared in the New York Times, the Atlantic, Esquire, GQ, and the Guardian, among other publications. He appears frequently on the Today Show to share book recommendations. His latest work is American Rambler: Walking the Trail of Johnny Appleseed, which will be published May 12, 2026 by Knopf.