Speakers

The director of publishing at Busybird Publishing, Blaise van Hecke – aka The Book Chick – has overseen the publication of over two hundred books. She’s also the author of The Book Book: 12 steps to successful publishing, and a contributor to Self Made, Healthy Body, Healthy Mind, and a number of journals. And, on top of all that, she’s a mentor and an editor in her own right.

In dealing with prospective authors, printers, editors, booksellers, bookstores, and anybody else you could think about related to books, she’s learned a thing or two. She also runs a variety of workshops on life writing, publishing, and editing.

Areas of Expertise: As a speaker, Blaise can talk about every facet of publishing – be it traditional publishing, self-publishing, publishing using print-on-demand, or ebook publishing – and writing. She is commonly in demand, educating writers, editors, students, and publishers from all over the country.

Kev Howlett brings over thirty years experience in the commercial photographic industry to Busybird Publishing. He’s taken pictures of people, events, cars, products, landscapes, and more – if there’s a picture to be taken, Kev has taken it.

In 2015, he climbed up to Mount Everest Base Camp and back to raise awareness and funds for Charcot-Marie-Tooth Syndrome – a condition his son suffers – while also taking pictures for a gorgeous photojournal of his trek, Walk With Me.

He’s an accomplished illustrator and artist as well, drawing images for the popular Tilly and Billy series, The Magnificent Climbing Tree, and Chantelle’s Wish.

Areas of Expertise: Kev can speak about anything to do with photography – from the composition of pictures, to how digital cameras work and how to get the best out of their features – and periodically runs workshops, helping budding photographers to learn to shoot pictures like a pro. He can also talk about illustration, and has hosted a number of secondary school workshops.