ABA is excited to host IGNITE: A BIPOC Bookseller Pre-Con at Winter Institute 2026, on February 22! 

IGNITE exists to celebrate BIPOC booksellers, industry members, and stories. Attendees will have the opportunity to talk shop, preview exciting upcoming titles, and connect with members of the industry with shared experiences. Join us for an afternoon of networking and community! 

All who self-identify as Black, Indigenous, Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI), Latina/o/x, Chicana/o/x, Hispanic, and BIPOC are welcome to attend IGNITE.

Does this mean BIPOC booksellers attending Wi2026 have to stay an extra night? 
Since Winter Institute begins at 9:00 am on Sunday, most attendees will be arriving on Saturday. IGNITE is scheduled to start Sunday afternoon in the hopes that attendees can travel during the morning and won’t need to schedule/pay for an extra night. However, we are working on a hotel night subsidy for some IGNITE booksellers who did not plan on arriving that early. Registrants will be notified if/when those hotel night subsidies become available and names will be drawn to determine the recipients.

Are there hotel night subsidies for IGNITE attendees? 
We are working on a hotel night subsidy for some BIPOC booksellers who did not plan on arriving early on Saturday. Registrants will be notified if/when those hotel night subsidies become available and names will be drawn to determine the recipients.

Do I have to attend Winter Institute to attend IGNITE? 
No! If you are not able to, or do not wish to, attend Winter Institute this year, you may still register to attend IGNITE by emailing winterinstitute@bookweb.org.

Do I have to be a person of color to attend IGNITE?
Yes! This event is exclusively for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color) booksellers and bookstore owners. 

Will the authors and editors in attendance at IGNITE be BIPOC?
Yes!

Will the publishing sales representatives presenting at IGNITE be BIPOC?
In some cases, yes. In some cases, no. But the titles being presented during Rep Picks will be by Black, Indigenous, AAPI, Latina/o/x, Chicana/o/x, Hispanic, and BIPOC authors and illustrators and publishers have been encouraged to send  sales reps from these communities when possible.

Will some BIPOC authors/editors only be coming to IGNITE and not the entire Winter Institute conference?
Possibly. But our hope — and this has been confirmed by many publishers — is that IGNITE will be an opportunity for BIPOC authors, editors, and sales reps who wouldn’t otherwise be able to attend Winter Institute to meet booksellers and present their work. And in some cases, these industry members may be able to attend both the pre-con and the conference. We are working with publishers to make this happen as much as possible. 

Is this the only programming at Wi2026 with BIPOC booksellers in mind?
No. Our commitment to antiracism, equity, access and representation has been a priority in planning the entire conference. More time between sessions allows the kind of time that’s necessary for inclusiveness, thoughtfulness, and connection. Session content is reviewed to ensure that diverse perspectives and experiences are considered. Racial representation benchmarks were set for rep picks publisher titles — a minimum of 25% BIPOC authors and/or BIPOC characters. Our Affinity Groups Reception will be held on Monday, February 23 at 8:30 pm in the Allegheny Grand Ballroom at the Westin.

Why is ABA not doing separate pre-cons for Black, Indigenous, AAPI, Latinx/Hispanic/Chicana/o/x, and/or booksellers from other historically marginalized communities? (acknowledging that people have more than one identity)
Currently, this seems to be the best way to balance our resources with the goal to support as many Black, Indigenous, AAPI, Latina/o/x, Chicana/o/x, Hispanic, and BIPOC booksellers as possible. We recognize that booksellers of different racial identities face different obstacles, have different needs, and experience the industry differently. We hope that some of that is addressed through our programming.

Why is IGNITE not incorporated into Winter Institute? (I.e., schedule during the rest of the conference instead of prior to the conference.)
We’ve received requests from BIPOC booksellers to develop programming for BIPOC booksellers that is not scheduled during other programming so that it is easier to attend. We have also received requests from BIPOC booksellers for programming featuring BIPOC booksellers, authors and speakers to be available for all. ABA has designed different programming to meet each of these requests.