It was standing room only at our recent Meanland event on future directions for books and bookshops. Chaired by incoming Meanjin editor Sally Heath and featuring presenters Chris Flynn, Corrie Perkin, Jo Case and Michael Webster, the discussion canvassed a wide array of anxieties and hopes for the future of books and the shops that sell them. Despite the rapid changes currently affecting the industry, and particularly in light of the recent failure of the Borders and Angus & Robertson chains, the prevailing mood was of tentative optimism. The event was held in partnership with literary journals Meanjin and Overland.