Professional Development – Sustainability in book production

Join Print-on-demand Manager, Srishti Kadu as she leads this session, raising general awareness about the issues to be considered when designing in an environmentally-conscious way, and exploring the choices that can have the most impact on a book’s carbon footprint.

This session will explore all the different aspects that can impact the sustainability of book production – from typesetting a manuscript, the impact of the printing process, all the way through to the distribution of books.

This event is in conjunction with the SoA’s Sustainability Network.

#SoAatHome Professional Development events – free for SoA Members

As of Feb 2025, #SoAatHome professional development sessions will continue to be free as a member benefit. However, for non-members, the price is £35 including VAT.

Not a member, sign up here with our special #SoAatHome offer and get 20 per cent off for the first year of membership – use code SOAATHOME20.

Programme

• Welcome, introductions and housekeeping from Katharine King, SoA (3 mins)
• Presentation by Srishti Kadu (60 mins)
• Comfort break (5 mins)
• Q&A with audience (20 mins)
• Summary and closing comments (2 mins)
• This event will be moderated by Katharine King, Chief Operations Officer & Sustainability Network co-coordinator, SoA
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Who is this session for?

This session is for anyone who wishes to learn more about sustainability in book production.

What will this session cover?

In this session, participants will learn about all the different aspects that can impact the sustainability of book production. Learning about issues to think about in an environmental conscious way and the impact different choices have on the book’s carbon footprint.

About the Sustainability Network

The issue of sustainability can sometimes feel overwhelming for authors. From deforestation to create paper, to book pulping, transportation, water usage and the use of foils and toxic inks (to name a few), publishing has a particularly harmful environmental impact. But this doesn’t have to be the case.

Launched in February 2024, as part of our ongoing work around sustainability, our Sustainability Network is a space for writers, illustrators and literary translators to discuss concerns, industry insights, and share resources and general tips about sustainability issues.

Members will receive updates about our work on sustainability and news about exclusive network events.

Send us your questions

If you would like to send questions in advance, email sustainability@societyofauthors.org with ‘Sustainability in book production’ in the subject header. We will prioritise questions sent in advance and answer as many as we can from the audience on the day.

#SoAatHome Fundraising Bookshop

Browse our virtual Bookshop.org store featuring books by authors and speakers taking part in the #SoAatHome. When you make a purchase using our affiliate links, a percentage will go to the Society of Authors’ Access Fund, giving authors support for travel, subsistence, childcare or access needs for events, residencies, and retreats.

The Line-up

Srishti Kadu

Srishti Kadu is currently POD (Print-on-Demand) Manager at Bloomsbury Publishing. She works closely with printers and internal colleagues to review and set the global POD production strategy for Bloomsbury. She moved to the UK from Mumbai, India to study at Lancaster University. After graduating she worked at Carnegie Publishing as a Book Design and Publishing Assistant and in 2019 was a winner of the Print Futures Award, run by the Printing Charity. She has also won the London Book Fair’s (LBF) Trailblazer Award in 2022, and was shortlisted for the Bookseller’s Future Leader of the Year 2023. Most recently in 2025 she won the Future Leader in Sustainability Award. She is currently also an Associate Lecturer in Publishing at Oxford Brookes, and is a publishing mentor with the Society of Young Publishers (SYP) and with Lancaster University.

LinkedIn: Srishti Kadu | Instagram: @srishtikadu

Need to know

Accessibility

• Attendees will have the option to turn on the live transcript, to watch with subtitles
• If you require BSL interpretation for this event, please email events@societyofauthors.org

Before the event

• Once registered, you will be sent a confirmation email with the Zoom link
• If the confirmation email doesn’t arrive in your inbox, please check your junk/spam email folder
• Please add events@societyofauthors.org to your Safe Senders list so you receive our confirmation and reminder emails

During the event

• This online event will take place on Zoom Webinar; you will not be visible on screen but will be able ask questions via the Q&A function or interact via the chat box
• This event will be recorded but you won’t be on screen
• Attendees have the option to turn on the live transcript
• This event is 90 minutes

After the event

• Hashtag for this event: #SoAatHome
• SoA Members and paid attendees of this event will be able to catch the recording on our Vimeo channel (password protected) or members can access via the SoA website.

Booking

SoA Members: Please use the ‘Register – SoA Members’ form below and provide your details, including your membership number. If you’re unsure of your SoA ID, please email info@societyofauthors.org.

Non-members: Choose one of the two ticket options below, complete the registration form, then fill out the billing info to finalise your payment.

For event or registration questions, email events@societyofauthors.org.

SoA Members – Free

Non-Members – £35