“We believe everybody has a story. And stories are for everybody.”

 That’s why Damian started Salon in 2008. This belief remains at the core of all the events, podcasts and stuff that we do.

 But what does this really mean in terms of who we are and what we do? We promise not to slip into awful management speak. Imagine!

 It means we read widely and think deeply when considering which writers and bookshops and publishers to feature – we don’t heedlessly follow trends or have the same conversations as everybody else. We do love a big bestseller, but we also listen for quieter voices.
We actively seek out writers from communities under or mis-represented in UK literature and the wider culture. We applaud shiny debuts but not at the expense of writers who are a couple of books in. We see the promise of youth and value the power of experience.

Librarians, indie publishers and indie bookshops are our heroes.

 We have always believed books have a unique power to connect people and bridge differences while celebrating
what makes each of us unique. So we feature more women than men because there still aren’t enough spaces for women writers.
We recognize that we are part of the wider publishing industry and that we need to keep doing more to uplift writers of colour and their work.
We have always championed writers who identify as working-class, LGBTQIA+ or disabled and will continue to do this.
We know many writers and readers live at the intersection of many different identities because we do too.  

We are a community, a company and a trusted place for readers and writers to share their love of stories.

We’ve staged hundreds of events in person and online and share more on our socials than ever before. We’ve had thousands of conversations all over the world from Sydney to Istanbul, from Edinburgh to San Francisco. And we continue to choose to work with partners who share our values, from the Women’s Prize to LitHub.

 We pay writers. We value our people and their time. You need our events to be as accessible and affordable as possible so we constantly monitor this - we offer free access to libraries and bookshops, for example. We create and hold space at Salons and on our socials for readers and writers to connect meaningfully and joyfully – that includes chance encounters in the queue, sometimes they’re the best bit. 

As with everything we do, we welcome your insight. 

So, thank you for all your support – for your time and attention and for turning up to celebrate stories. 

Damian & Team Salon.