With the growing influence of social media and the rising trend of crowdfunding and self-publishing, this event will ask how writers can best keep up with the changing literary landscape and make the most of modern technology in an increasingly digital world.

Writer, Nikesh Shukla, explains how he harnessed the power of crowdfunding to publish his award-winning anthology The Good Immigrant (crowned Britain’s favourite book in 2016), blogger and author, Isabel Costello, shares her experience of publishing in digital and audio formats and Associate Editor of FutureBook, Molly Flatt, gives us a unique insight into the power of social media in the publishing world.

Join chair, Danuta Kean, and our expert panel for an informative discussion of the pros, pitfalls and possibilities of writing in the digital age.

About The Speakers

Nikesh Shukla

Nikesh Shukla has experience of both traditional and non-traditional publishing routes. He is the author of the critically acclaimed novel Meatspace, the Costa shortlisted (and crowdfunded) novel Coconut Unlimited and the award-winning novella The Time Machine. He is the editor of the award-winning The Good Immigrant, a collection of essays about race and immigration. He wrote the short film Two Dosas and the Channel 4 sitcom Kabadasses.

Isabel Costello

Isabel Costello is a London-based novelist and short story writer who runs the Literary Sofa blog.  Her debut novel Paris Mon Amour was first published in digital by Canelo and she has since released a paperback edition under a new Literary Sofa imprint.

Molly Flatt

Molly is an author and journalist who explores how technology changes the way we think, work and live. She is Associate Editor of FutureBook, Associate Editor of The Memo, Digital Editor for Phoenix Magazine, and also writes for the likes of the Guardian and the BBC. She speaks around the world on digital culture and her debut novel, The Charmed Life of Alex Moore – an adventure set between the startups of Old Street and the wilds of Orkney – will be published by Pan Macmillan next spring.

About The Chair

Danuta Kean

Danuta Kean is a publishing commentator and journalist for the Guardian, iNews, Mslexia and other publications. Her two most recent reports – Writing the Future and Centre Stage for the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation – held to account publishers and theatres for their failure to attract people of colour into their professions and have resulted in initiatives to encourage greater diversity.