The Booksellers Association today announced that Miriam Robinson will join the organisation as Head of Strategy on June 5^th 2025, succeeding Alan Staton whose retirement after over 20 years with the BA was announced earlier this month.
 
A former Bookseller Rising Star and recipient of the Kim Scott Walwyn Award for Young Women in Publishing, Robinson’s book trade career began 17 years ago as a bookseller at Foyles Charing Cross Road – where she subsequently ran the events programme, became Head of Marketing and launched, with The Bookseller, the Future Foyles workshops to engage the trade with their flagship store’s landmark move to their current premises.
 
Since departing Foyles in 2014 and embarking on a freelance career, Robinson has worked with clients across the spectrum of publishing houses and literary organisations – as a marketer, brand consultant, creative facilitator, event chair and programmer. She currently forms part of the core team running The British Book Awards, is programme director for the Bookseller’s M&P Conference, works with the Booker Prizes to connect their titles with bookshops and oversees the partnership between the Jhalak Prize and National Book Tokens - a group company of the BA.
 
In her new role as Head of Strategy, Robinson will lead on the BA’s extensive, year-round conference and events programme, connect and represent the memberships in Ireland, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, advise on overarching strategy and membership policy, alongside evolving the long-term sustainability and representation agendas for the BA. Robinson will join the senior leadership team and work with them on third-party collaborations, innovations and industry projects.
  
Miriam Robinson said: "To be able to join the BA at a time when it is such an absolute energetic force feels a bit like I’ve won the lottery! Bookshops have been a part of my career since the very beginning and I’m really humbled that I now get to work alongside and for them. I am wildly grateful to Meryl for trusting me with this role, and am beyond excited to join such a vibrant, dynamic and creative team. I have loved my time as a freelancer - getting to see the breadth and range of the book trade from so many vantage points has been such a privilege. Thank you to everyone who has worked with me during this time, but thank you in particular to The Bookseller, who gave me my very first freelance job and who have been an absolute haven over the years."
 
Meryl Halls, Managing Director of the Booksellers Association said: "I couldn’t be more thrilled to be welcoming Miriam to the BA team.  She’s someone I’ve worked with and admired for many years, and we are very excited to bring her unique skill set to our work with booksellers across the UK and Ireland.   Miriam already knows the industry, knows many of our members, and is a highly respected and influential player in our trade.  I know she will bring her trademark energy, rigour, creative thinking and compassion to the role and, while we will take a long time to stop missing Alan Staton, from whom Miriam takes over in June, I can think of no-one better qualified to do so."
 
Philip Jones, Editor at The Bookseller said: ‘‘Since day one Miriam has overhauled and super-charged the brand development of our events, most notably The British Book Awards, which has grown its public-facing activities while at the same time cementing its place at the centre of the book trade. I am delighted that we will have her until the end of this year's Nibbies season, but also as the programmer for the Marketing & Publicity Conference up until she joins The Booksellers Association. Miriam is of course perfectly suited for her new role at the BA and I look forward to seeing what happens next with her and at the BA, under Meryl's leadership.’’