Heartland Fall Forum

03/10/2025

Great Lakes Independent Booksellers Association and Midwest Booksellers Association are proud to announce that acclaimed poet, essayist, and gardener Ross Gay has been selected as the recipient of the 2025 Voice of the Heartland Award. This annual honor celebrates individuals who exemplify the values and spirit of independent bookselling, and whose work resonates deeply with readers and communities across the region. Gay will receive the award during the Heartland Fall Forum Book Awards Ceremony on Tuesday, October 14, 2025.

17/07/2025

🎉 Bookseller registration is now OPEN for Heartland Fall Forum!

We’re heading to Indianapolis, Indiana for three jam-packed days of:
🏆 Awards celebrations
📚 Author events
🛍️ Bookstore tours
🎓 Education sessions
🤝 Networking galore
🚀 And a vibrant trade show floor where booksellers and industry partners come together to connect and do business.

Whether it’s your first time or you’re a Heartland regular, we can’t wait to see you in Indy this fall! 💛

Hosted by the Great Lakes Independent Booksellers Association and the Midwest Booksellers Association.

👉 Register now and be part of the magic: https://tinyurl.com/3aczszuj

12/10/2024

After a day of celebration, the 250 booksellers attending Heartland Fall Forum focused on the business of bookselling, with a busy trade show followed by a day of education as veteran booksellers mixed with 114 first-time attendees.

12/10/2024

03/10/2023

🤩 Wayne State University Press has always been a long time supporter of indie bookstores. As our principal sponsor we appreciate their continued support of engaging with booksellers in meaningful ways. Thank you Wayne State University Press for helping us bring Heartland to life.

📚 Find them on the trade show floor at booth 301!

27/09/2023

😍 Have you seen the stacked lineup for this year's Author Keynote Breakfast? Don't miss Candice Iloh, Kiley Reid, Erik Larson and Cristina Henriquez on Friday, October 20. Thank you HarperCollins for sponsoring this event. We can't wait to see these four wonderful authors take the stage in Detroit, MI.

📢 Our registration and ticket deadlines have been extended until next Monday, October 2. You have five (5!) days to register for what we believe will be the best Heartland yet. Learn more at https://www.heartlandfallforum.org/

05/09/2023

📣 Finalists Announced for the 2023 Heartland Booksellers Award! VOTE TODAY

📚 The Heartland Booksellers Award is a reflection of handselling at its best, as all the books are selected by independent booksellers, and celebrate literature in the Great Lakes and Midwest, with content either about the region, or an author from our region. It's a joint award given annually by the Great Lakes Independent Booksellers Association and the Midwest Booksellers Association.

🎊 Celebrate this year's winners by joining us live in person at the Heartland Booksellers Award Ceremony hosted by Isaac Fitzgerald!

🗳️ Please rank each title based on your choice. #1 being your top pick. Voting deadline is September 18, 2023

Find all voting information at heartlandfallforum.org

01/09/2023

😍 The road to Heartland just got a whole lot smoother thanks to our bookseller travel scholarship sponsors. Fujii Associates, HarperCollins, Scholastic, and Bookshop have all made it possible for several indie booksellers to attend this year's conference. We can't thank you enough for your support and look forward to celebrating you more in October.

See all of our wonderful sponsors at heartlandfallforum.org

29/08/2023

📚 Of the many author events we host at Heartland, our Moveable Feast is high energy from beginning to end. This speed dating round robin format is paired with some of the season's most exciting authors. A big thank you to Scholastic for making this year's event possible with your generous sponsorship. We appreciate you and your continued support of indie booksellers.