Tickets for talks and panels are only available to Indie Press Fair ticket holders. BOOK HERE

You'll be emailed an access code to book them for free. 

Koushik Banerjea (Animal Nightlife) in conversation with Andi Thomas

Vikram, Ravi and Sean, childhood friends from south London, seem to be the only ones who have noticed that they have wings. As adults and ‘multiples’ – their hybrid human/animal forms – they are all now dealing with the personal and political fallout of what is turning out to be an unexpectedly turbulent present in which ‘singulars’ – narrow-minded, non-syncretic - are the ones making the weather.

It feels like a dangerous time for anyone deemed an outsider. Human society has rarely been this reckless or rapacious, and the fragile ecosystem holding together all the unlikely alliances of ‘animal nightlife’ has been placed in mortal danger. Consumerism, greed, violence, and prejudice of every kind are ranged against the brave souls taking a stand by lining the telegraph wires as a final showdown draws ever closer.

The second prize winner of the 2023 Novel London Literary Competition, Animal Nightlife (Conduit Books, 2026), is 'A rapturous, kaleidoscopic portrait of contemporary Britain and the myriad immigrant experiences that informed it.' Join Koushik Banerjea and Andi Thomas for a conversation around the inspirations and sonic landscape of this striking novel.

Koushik Banerjea is a London-based writer and novelist. His debut novel, Another Kind of Concrete, was published in 2020 by Jacaranda Books. The follow-up, Category Unknown, was published by London Books in 2022. His latest Animal Nightlife won 2nd Prize in the 2023 Novel London Literary Competition, and is out now with Conduit Books. His short stories and poetry have appeared in multiple magazines and small presses including Minor Literatures, Tangerine Press, Renard Press, Writers Resist and Aeos, and have been finalists for the London Independent Story Prize 2025, the REIGN Prize 2025 and the Jerry Jazz Musician Short Fiction Contest 2024. He has been a guest on the Robert Elms BBC Radio London show, and usually has plenty to say away from the mic too. He was a youth worker, academic, journalist and DJ before embarking upon his first two novels, both written while he was the sole carer for his late mother.

Andi Thomas writes about football and other things. His work has appeared in the Guardian, on ESPN, SBNation and Football365, and in Glory magazine. His book Underground, Overground: The fault lines of football, on AFC Wimbledon, Milton Keynes and all that unpleasantness, was published by Halcyon in 2019. He also manages Sydenham Library.

The Indie Press Fair is a one-day celebration of independent publishing, hosted by Calico Projects at Manor House Library.

Independent presses will be exhibiting on the day, with books and other publications available to buy directly from them.

Running alongside the fair are four free talks and panels featuring authors, editors and publishers discussing their work and the world of small press publishing. These are bookable separately using an access code sent to Entry Ticket holders by email, so buy your ticket early to guarantee a place.

Entry includes a free drink on arrival (before 2:15pm) and buffet food during the day. A pay bar will be on site.

Talks and Panels

Talks and panels are free, but only bookable with an access code. You'll be emailed the code after buying an Entry Ticket, then use it to reserve your place at each session, spaces are limited.

Panel: Translation and Creative Practice, chaired by Erica Hesketh
1:45 PM–2:30 PM
Poet and translator Erica Hesketh leads a conversation on the craft of literary translation and its relationship to creative practice.

Koushik Banerjea (Animal Nightlife) in conversation with Andi Thomas
2:50 PM–3:35 PM
Koushik Banerjea talks about Animal Nightlife, a kaleidoscopic novel of hybrid human-animal lives navigating a dangerous, divided Britain.

Nell Osborne (Ghost Driver) in conversation with Neil Griffiths
3:50 PM–4:35 PM
Poet and novelist Nell Osborne discusses Ghost Driver, joint winner of the 2026 Queen Mary Small Press Fiction Prize, a shape-shifting tale of paranoia, disappearance and self-recognition.

Panel: Success in Small Press Publishing, chaired by Neil Griffiths
5:30 PM–6:30 PM
Neil Griffiths chairs a panel of independent publishers on the experience of small press publishing and what success looks like in the industry.