On Thursday 8th March London College of Communication (LCC) is hosting iGeneration, the eighth annual Publishing Innovation Conference by MA Publishing students, sponsored by Macmillan. The conference will address the rise of self-publishing and the debates it is inspiring within the industry. The annual Student Achievement Prize, a cheque of £500, will be presented at the conference by Anthony Forbes Watson, managing director of Pan Macmillan Publishers.

Two panels, made up of both industry speakers and self-publishers, including writers, photographers and bloggers will discuss how self-publishing is affecting the traditional self-publishing model. Confirmed speakers include: Jeremy Leslie creative director at magCulture, Alison Baverstock, author of The Naked Author: Guide to Self-Publishing, Joanna Penn from The Creative Penn and Ewan Morrison, author, whose recent article in the Guardian tracks the self-epublishing bubble.

Desmond O’Rourke, LCC MA Publishing course director, says: “The theme for the conference project this year really resonates with the turmoil and challenges going on within the industry. With rapid e-reader and digital tablet adoption, where anyone can be a publisher, roles are blurring between amateur and professional. This conference will give insights into these challenges for writers, creative content producers, publishing professionals and students alike.”

iGeneration has been organised as part of the MA Publishing professional practice module by students: Claire Muirhead, Megan Phillips, Stine Gjevnøe Sørensen, Victor Egenti, Katie Jones and Hennal Valand.

The conference is free and takes place in the Podium Lecture Theatre at London College of Communication on Thursday the 8th March from 4 – 8pm.

Book your place at the conference at www.publishinginnovation.com

Join in the debate via Twitter: @iGeneration2012 or on Facebook: Publishing Innovation Conference 2012