Black British Book Festival x Pan Macmillan

Building a Community-Led Future for Publishing

Pan Macmillan and the Black British Book Festival (BBBF) are taking their partnership to the next level with the launch of a bold new community-led publishing collaboration.

Unveiled at this year’s Festival on Sunday 19th October, the collaboration will tap into the power and insight of the BBBF’s 10,000-strong community of engaged readers. The goal? To reshape how books are commissioned, curated, and championed — with the community at the heart of every decision.

Instead of creating a traditional imprint, this new model will see titles published across Pan Macmillan’s existing imprints — ensuring each book finds its perfect home. The first titles from the collaboration are expected to hit shelves in 2027.

Pan Macmillan has been the headline sponsor of the BBBF for the past four years. Together, they’ve already made significant strides — most notably through Writers on the Rise, a 2023 initiative designed to nurture emerging Black British authors through mentorship, editorial support, and direct access to publishing professionals.

Speaking on the partnership, Selina Brown, founder of the BBBF, shared:

“When I started the Black British Book Festival in 2021, it was about creating a platform where Black British writers could be seen, celebrated, and supported. Four years on, to be collaborating with Pan Macmillan, one of the UK’s biggest publishers, on a new community-led publishing model is a full-circle moment and a powerful step forward. This collaboration is about reimagining how publishing can work: putting community, access, and authenticity at the heart of decision-making. Together, we’re building a model that doesn’t just publish books for the community but with the community.”

A steering committee made up of team members from both Pan Macmillan and the BBBF will guide the collaboration, with a focus on discovering and developing new voices — particularly author-entrepreneurs and self-published writers who’ve already cultivated strong audiences of their own.

Joanna Prior, CEO of Pan Macmillan, added:

“Our partnership with the Black British Book Festival has already been so valuable, and we’ve learned a great deal from their team and their deep connection to the community. Now we’re building on that success — leveraging their reach and expertise to explore a completely new and different approach to publishing. We will provide a dynamic home for talent from the community, selected by the community.”

This year’s Festival at London’s Barbican drew a record-breaking crowd of over 5,500 attendees. Headliners included Tabitha Brown, Sir Lenny Henry, Marcus Ryder, June Sarpong OBE, Dame Denise Lewis DBE, and Jordan Stephens — a fitting backdrop for an announcement set to redefine the future of Black British storytelling.