The Irish Writers' Centre is hosting an exciting information day From Novice to Novelist on all things publishing. The day features talks from industry experts and offers the opportunity to pose questions to the speakers. Novelist Belinda McKeon; literary agent with Curtis Brown, Sheila Crowley; publisher Brendan Barrington and digital expert Eoin Purcell will give the inside track on their role within publishing, what they look for from an author, changing trends in the industry here and in the UK, the importance of having something new/different to offer and how to sustain a writing life. Registration is at 10.30am, talks start at 11.00am and run until 4.30pm. Tickets are €60 (€50 for Members) and can be booked by paying online (paypal below) or calling the Centre on 01-8721302.

Belinda's debut novel Solace was a number one Irish bestseller and won the 2012 Faber Prize, as well as being named Sunday Independent Best Newcomer and Irish Book of the Year. She teaches on the creative writing faculty at Barnard College, New York and lives in Brooklyn, where she is currently at work on her second novel. Belinda will talk about the writing process, the experience of being published, and about the queasy ground between the two: what matters when you're writing with the hope of being published; what publication looks like from the author's point of view, and why the old writing tip "murder your darlings" today becomes "murder your twitter followers" (not necessarily literally).

Eoin is commissioning editor at New Island Books. He also publishes Irish Publishing News and The Irish Story. He previously worked with Mercier Press and Nonsuch Ireland (now The History Press, Ireland). He occasionally consults for authors and publishers through Green Lamp Media. Eoin writes regularly for his own website (http://www.eoinpurcellsblog.com) and other print and online outlets. Eoin will look at how digital publishing has altered the industry to date and how it will change it even more in the years ahead.