Lifting the Lid: How Does the Writing and Publishing Industry Really Work?

Join us at Paperchain Bookstore for Lifting the Lid: How Does the Writing and Publishing Industry Really Work?

This Emerging Writers’ Industry Night brings together people working across writing, agenting, publishing and literary festivals for a candid conversation about how the industry really works, followed by drinks, nibblies and a night of informal networking.

Hosted at Paperchain Bookstore in collaboration with Canberra Writers Festival and yinfluence editorial, the evening is designed for emerging writers, students, recent graduates and anyone trying to find their way into the literary world.

THE PANEL

Join author and literary publicist Emma Pei Yin in conversation with Siang Lu, Andra Putnis, Chloe Berry & Shane Strange as they pull back the curtain on different parts of the book industry: what happens when you start submitting your work, what agents are actually looking for, how publishers make decisions, what it’s like building a career as an author, how writers end up on festival programs, and the things people working in books wish emerging writers knew earlier.

Expect an honest, practical conversation rather than another formal “how to get published” seminar.

Then we’re heading to the pub!

After the panel, we’ll walk over to Public Bar for drinks, nibblies and an informal night of conversation with our speakers and other members of the Canberra literary community.

This is your chance to ask the questions that can be difficult to ask in a formal panel setting, meet people working across the industry, talk about what you’re writing and connect with other emerging writers.

No awkward networking required. Come for a drink, find the people you want to learn from and ask them what you actually want to know.

EVENT DETAILS

Wednesday 23 September 2026

6:00 PM–6:30 PM

Industry panel at Paperchain Bookstore

6:30 PM onwards

Drinks, nibblies + networking at Public Bar

Goodie bags included for attendees.

Whether you’re halfway through your first manuscript, preparing to submit, studying creative writing or simply trying to understand where you might fit within the literary world, this night is about making the industry a little less mysterious and the writing community a little easier to find.

BIOS

Siang Lu is the Miles Franklin-winning author of Ghost Cities and ABIA-winning author of The Whitewash. He is the co-creator of The Beige Index and the creator of #sillybookstagram. Ghost Cities was shortlisted for eight additional awards, including the ALS Gold Medal, The Voss Literary Prize and The Age Book of the Year. In 2026, Ghost Cities will be published with Simon & Schuster’s Summit UK and US imprints, and in 25 territories in translation thereafter.

Andra Putnis is the Artistic Director of the Canberra Writers Festival. Her debut memoir, Stories My Grandmothers Didn’t Tell Me, revealed how her two Latvian grandmothers lived through the terror of the Second World War and survived to immigrate to Australia (Allen & Unwin, 2024). It was shortlisted for ACT Book of the Year in 2025. Andra was awarded a Highly Commended in the 2025 Calibre Prize for The Art and Atrocity of Disaster Scenario Planning, published in The Australian Book Review, 2025. Her work has appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald and The Canberra Times.

Chloe Berry is the founder of The Berry Agency, a boutique literary and marketing agency. She started her career at HarperCollins Australia and took the leap to become a literary agent in 2025. An avid reader, bookseller and active member of the bookish social media community, Chloe is deeply committed to supporting authors at every stage of their journey.

Shane Strange is publisher at Recent Work Press, and Manager at Paperchain Bookstore. He was artistic director of the Queensland Poetry Festival in Brisbane, and the Poetry on the Move festival in Canberra. He taught Creative Writing at the University of Canberra. He is the author of two chapbooks and a collection of poetry, All Suspicions Have Been Confirmed.

Emma Pei Yin is an award-winning writer, editor and literary advocate. Her debut novel, When Sleeping Women Wake, has been published internationally and translated into multiple languages. Emma is the founder of yinfluence, an agency supporting PoC, queer and neurodivergent writers by connecting them with editors and mentors who understand the stakes of telling stories from the margins. She is an Author Advocate for Room to Read and an Ambassador for Chapters for Change.

This event is free but as space is limited please book to secure your place.