The New England Independent Booksellers Association's (NEIBA) 2025 Fall Conference takes place Tuesday, September 9, through Thursday, September 11, at the Manchester Doubletree Downtown hotel in Manchester, N.H. The registration desk opens at 7:30 a.m., and introductory sessions run from 9 to 10:30. The opening keynote begins at 11 and features Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Jon Meacham, whose very timely book, American Struggle: Democracy, Dissent and the Pursuit of a More Perfect Union, will be published in February 2026 by Random House. A Reps Pick Lunch follows from 12:15 to 2:30 p.m. Afternoon education sessions run in two blocks, from 3 to 4 and 4:15 to 5:15, and cover topics such as wholesale ordering, marketing, and bookseller wellness. At least 20 authors will attend the evening author reception from 5:30 to 7 and include Seven Stories Press founder and publisher Dan Simon, whose debut novel, Ashland, will be published by Europa Editions in February 2026.
On Wednesday, the Adult Author Breakfast, featuring Christopher Castellani, Jenny Lawson, Cheryl W. Thompson, and T Kira Madden, runs concurrently with the Children's Author Breakfast, featuring C.L. Herman, Wunneanatsu Lamb-Carson, Kate Messner, and more, from 8:30 to 10 a.m. on Wednesday morning. The exhibit floor is open from 10 to 4. Adult and children's editor Buzz Panel lunches will be held from 12 to 1:15 p.m. From 4 to 5:30 p.m., Lisa Uhrik, co-owner of Franklin Fixtures and Plenty Downtown Bookshop, Cookville, Tenn., will discuss the power of visual merchandising. The New England Book Awards Banquet (6:30-8:30 p.m.), at which the winners of the 2025 awards will be announced, will be preceded by a cocktail hour from 5:30 to 6:30.
Thursday opens with separate adult and children's author breakfasts from 8:30 to 10 a.m. The adult breakfast features Edward J. Delaney, Quiara Alegria Hudes, Stefan Merrill Block, and Victoria Redel; the children's breakfast includes Annie Cardi, Brian Lies, Scott Rothman, and more. The NEIBA Annual Meeting from 11:30 to 12:45 caps a morning of education sessions that include a primer on how books are made as well as tips for DIY projects and repairs in the store. The conference ends with the Closing Keynote Lunch at 1 p.m.