NYU School of Professional Studies Media Talk, “From Backlist to Bestseller,” with Braiding Sweetgrass Author Robin Wall Kimmerer Will Take Place Virtually on February 16

Moderated by Andrew Albanese of Publishers Weekly, the Panel Discussion Will Focus on the Book’s Trajectory from Indie Book to Bestseller

NEW YORK, February 7, 2022 – The NYU School of Professional Studies (NYU SPS) Center for Publishing, in conjunction with the NYU SPS Office of Alumni Relations, will present its next Media Talk, titled “From Backlist to Bestseller,” in a virtual format on Wednesday, February 16, from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. EST.

The event will feature Robin Wall Kimmerer, author of Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teaching of Plants, along with Daniel Slager, her editor and CEO of Milkweed Editions, the publisher of the book. They will discuss how an indie publication sold half a million copies and is still topping bestseller lists nine years after its release. The panel, moderated by Publishers Weekly senior writer Andrew Albanese, will also focus on how the power of independent bookstores and word-of-mouth turned Braiding Sweetgrass into a publishing phenomenon. In addition, the conversation will feature Stephen Sparks, owner of Point Reyes Books, who will provide the point of view from the independent bookstore side.

Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teaching of Plants was the NYU Reads book selection for discussion during the 2021-2022 academic year.

Register for the event here.

Panelists include:

• Andrew Albanese, event moderator, is a senior writer at Publishers Weekly. He is the author of The Battle of $9.99: How Apple, Amazon and the Big Six Publishers Changed the E-Book Business Overnight.
• Robin Wall Kimmerer is the author of Braiding Sweetgrass. She is a botanist, educator, and member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation.
• Daniel Slager is the CEO of Milkweed Editions and is the publisher and editor of Braiding Sweetgrass.
• Stephen Sparks is the owner of Point Reyes Books in Northern California. His writing has appeared in Tin House, The Paris Review Daily, Music & Literature, and elsewhere.

For media inquiries, please contact Alka Gupta at aag13@nyu.edu or Michael DeMeo at michael.demeo@nyu.edu.

About the NYU SPS Media Talk Series
The NYU SPS Media Talk Series presents public conversations with media leaders about trends and important publishing topics from an industry insider’s viewpoint. The February 2021 Media Talk featured Brit Bennett, author of The Vanishing Half, along with Sarah McGrath and Ashley Sutton, representatives from her publisher Riverhead Books. The June 2020 session featured Susan Goldberg, editor-in-chief of National Geographic, and Monica Drake, assistant managing editor of The New York Times, in a conversation about how legacy brands have evolved into multiplatform storytellers. The February 2020 session, “Passionate Readers, Powerful Publishing: Reaching Niche Audiences in New Ways,” featured bestselling authors Sarah MacLean, Tochi Onyebuchi, Veronica Roth, and Karin Slaughter. Two Media Talk events took place in 2019. The February 2019 Media Talk, titled “From Book to Screen to Stage: New Audiences for Bestselling Fiction,” featured Harlen Coben, Val Emmich, and Adriana Trigiani; and the June 2019 Media Talk, “Book Lovers on the Internet: Connecting with Readers in Digital Ways,” included Cristina Arreola, senior books editor at Bustle, Jane K. Lee of Epic Reads, and authors Emma Straub and Jess Zimmerman. Other NYU Media Talks have featured bestselling authors such as David Baldacci, Alice Hoffman, Jeff Kinney, Erik Larson, Lauren Oliver, Jodi Picoult, Jeffrey Toobin, and Colson Whitehead.

About the NYUSPS Center for Publishing: Digital and Print Media
The NYUSPS Center for Publishing: Digital and Print Media offers a range of innovative programs in publishing and digital media, including the MS in Publishing: Digital and Print Media, a 36-credit graduate program that prepares students for careers in books, digital and magazine media; the Summer Publishing Institute (SPI), a four-week intensive for recent college graduates, rising college seniors, and young professionals who are interested in entry-level careers in media; and executive education programs, both in New York and abroad. For more information about the Center for Publishing, visit sps.nyu.edu/publishing.

The NYU School of Professional Studies – Celebrating More Than 87 Years of Excellence in Applied Professional Education
For over 87 years, the NYU School of Professional Studies (NYU SPS) has been a deeply respected institution of higher education that is grounded in applied learning. From its early years, training returning World War II veterans to fulfill the nation's urgent need for skilled technical workers, it has evolved into a professional education powerhouse that offers 22 graduate degrees, 14 bachelor's degrees for traditional and post-traditional students, four associate's degrees, and a plethora of non-degree courses and credentials.

NYU SPS is a thought leader, and serves as an incubator for new ideas in industries that are constantly changing, including real estate, real estate development, and construction management; hospitality, tourism, travel, and event management; global affairs and global security, conflict, and cybercrime; global sport and sports business; publishing; marketing; public relations; project management; executive coaching and organizational consulting, human resource management and development, and human capital analytics and technology; management and systems; translation; and professional writing. It is focused on building skills that open doors to opportunities in emerging fields and global markets. NYU SPS faculty members are leading experts in their areas of discipline, with a hands-on approach that encourages students to push beyond their limits and to break new ground.

Home to some of the largest and most prestigious industry conferences in the world, including the Schack Institute of Real Estate's Capital Markets Conference, REIT Symposium, and National Symposium of Women in Real Estate; and the Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality's International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference, the School's invaluable connections to industry leaders is a truly distinguishing factor in the education that it provides. Through career development services and resources provided by the NYU Wasserman Center for Career Development at NYU SPS, guest lecturers, site visits, participation in numerous conferences and events, and Global Field Intensives, students benefit from an NYU education that will set them apart. In addition, they have the opportunity to learn from and network with more than 30,000 NYU SPS alumni who live, work, and contribute to innovation in industry around the world. To learn more about NYU SPS visit: sps.nyu.edu.