MLitt in Publishing Studies student Aiida Syzdyk reports on her visit to the Society of Young Publishers Annual Conference 2009:

Saturday, 14th November UK Publishers gathered for SYP Annual Conference 2009 held at Oxford Brookes University. This year “The Impact of Publishing on Society” was discussed.

The welcome speech was given by Alan Crompton (Oxford SYP Chairman), who at the very beginning stressed the fact he didn’t expect that many participants, indeed the lecture theatre was full and latecomers had to stand. Opening and closing debates were presented respectively by Helen Fraser (Penguin), Will Atkinson (Faber and Faber), Alan Samson (Orion Books), Chris Brazier (New Internationalists Publications), Robert Sharp (English Pen), andSarah Totterdell (Oxfam).

All of the conference participants were given a choice of attending any three of the following six seminars:

• The Economics of Publishing;

• Publishing Career Development;

• Digital Developments;

• Entrepreneurial Publishing;

• Publishing Design;

• CV Clinic

After all those hot debates, still excited conference participants went to Oxford Brookes Union Bar for further discussions having post conference drinks.