PRESENTS:
The DIGITAL SERIES
INSIDE BOOK RETAIL:
HOW BOOKS FIND THEIR READERS
In conversation with the co-owners of leading independent bookstore, Round Table Books, Meera Ghanshamdas and Jasmina Bide and author / host Eric Collins
Join us on January 20th for the final chapter in The Black Literary Club’s digital series on the publishing industry.
This session turns the page to how published books get into retail spaces.
On January 20th, Meera Ghanshamdas and Jasmina Bide, co-directors of Round Table Books, join Eric Collins for a live digital conversation about how books actually reach readers.
Annually, over 660 million physical books are sold in the UK, US and China combined. In the UK, 200,000 books are published annually. That is almost 17,000 titles each month. Any author wanting the opportunity to write and sell future narratives must get book sales. Seasoned authors know that booksellers’ stocking choices, recommendations and independent marketing of a particular book are critical tools for getting the public to know a book might be right for them as well as for accumulating book sales. Independent bookshops sit at the intersection of culture, commerce, and community. They decide what is stocked, what is championed, and which voices are given space beyond algorithms, bestseller lists, and marketing budgets.
Round Table Books is a leading London-based independent bookshop that for years has been championing underrepresented voices and building a loyal, engaged reading community. Meera and Jasmina operate at the frontline of the book industry, where decisions made in publishing meet the realities of retail, readers, and local culture.
In conversation with author Eric, they will share an honest view of how independent bookshops work today, how booksellers and make or break a book and why retail remains a powerful force in shaping literary culture.
🗓️ Tuesday, 20 January 2026 | 6:00–7:00 PM GMT
📍 Join us live on TheBlackLiteraryClub.com
About our guests
ERIC COLLINS
CEO & Co-Founder, Impact X Capital Partners
Author, We Don’t Need Permission: Unlocking Black Empowerment for Good
Host, The Money Maker (Channel 4)
A Harvard Law graduate and former Obama appointee, Eric champions creative and economic empowerment for underrepresented voices. He’ll share how writers can think like entrepreneurs and own their creative future.
Jasmina Bidé
Co-director, Round Table Books CIC
Jasmina is the co-director of Round Table Books CIC, an inclusive Brixton/ based bookshop. Jasmina is a trustee of the cultural philanthropy foundation and is co-opted on the Green Party’s policy development committee. Jasmina has a background in public policy.
Meera Ghanshamdas
Co-director, Round Table Books CIC
Meera is co-director of Round Table Books CIC, a community interest company based in Brixton that specialises in championing books from experiences currently under-represented in the book industry, and is actively working to make the industry more inclusive. Meera sits on the board of the 87Press. She is also the UK sales and marketing manager for Titled Axis Press. She was born in Hong Kong and has lived in the Philippines, South Africa and India before settling in London.
Thank you to OUR Event sponsor
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