43rd edition of LIBER comes to a close, marked by the international expansion and dynamism of the publishing sector

See our images from the fair.

LIBER 2025, the International Book Fair organised by IFEMA MADRID and the Federation of Publishers' Guilds of Spain (FGEE) today closed the doors on its 43rd edition on a positive note, with widespread satisfaction across the sector with the commercial and professional results.

Over three days, Hall 14.1 of the Recinto Ferial became the epicentre of the Spanish-language book industry, with 9,427 professional visitors in attendance to see all the latest developments from 248 companies from 13 countries around the world.

International projection and the generation of commercial opportunities were two central themes of this edition. The new features at this year’s fair, the Salón de Derechos was a real driver of business for the fair, bringing together 130 publishers and literary agents from 24 countries. The space saw over 400 meetings and the closing of numerous translation and rights deals between European and Latin American publishing houses, as well as new contacts with emerging markets. 

Joining the push for international expansions was the Priority Interest Decision-Makers Programme (PICE), held in collaboration with Acción Cultural Española (AC/E), attracting librarians, heads of institutional book procurement departments, publishers, teachers and other strategic profiles with decision-making and prescribing capacity for editorial content from 22 countries. The Buyers' Programme, promoted by the FGEE with the collaboration of ICEX España Exportación e Inversiones and Acción Cultural Española (AC/E), welcomed over 300 professionals from 54 countries.

Daniel Fernández, President of the Federation of Publishers' Guilds of Spain, said, "LIBER 2025 has been a success that will help us to continue to make progress with the international growth of books in Spanish. Over these three days, business relationships have been established that will crystallise over the coming months. In addition to the usual book export activities, this year saw the addition of the Salón de Derechos, a successful venture that will be strengthened in future editions. I would like to highlight the significant attendance at the round table discussions at our professional conference days. All of this continues to make LIBER a crucial date on the calendar for the Spanish books sector".

For his part, executive vice-president of IFEMA MADRID, Daniel Martínez, stressed that "this event has offered a complete overview of publishing production and services related to books and, in doing so, Madrid has confirmed its position on the international publishing map. IFEMA MADRID would like to thank the Federation of Publishers' Guilds of Spain for their commitment and vision in making LIBER, year after year, an indisputable platform for the publishing industry"

Wide range of publications and knowledge

This year's exhibition reflected the breadth and diversity of the Spanish publishing sector, with the participation of large and medium-sized publishing houses, as well as independent publishers, along with services, technology, distribution and self-publishing companies. Exhibitors agree that LIBER is "an essential event" and a real "meeting point with distributors and potential customers," with "constant meetings" where they highlight the value of the direct contact offered by attendance at the fair.

The Fair also brought together a broad representation of the autonomous communities, with the participation of organisations and guilds like the Publishers' Association of Madrid, the Publishers' Guild of Catalonia, the Publishers' Association of Aragon, the Galician Publishers' Association, the Publishers ' Guild of the Basque Country, the Publishers' Guild of Castilla-La Mancha, the  Publishers' Association of Valencia, the Publishers of Castilla y León and the Publishers' Association of Andalusia which had one of the largest delegations with 19 visitors.

Finally, sharing knowledge was the focus at the new Agora space and the LIBER 2025 professional programme, with over 70 activities dedicated to innovation, training, marketing and sustainability. The proposition was to promote professional dialogue and debate on subjects like artificial intelligence, new business models, reading habits and sustainability in publishing production.

Chile: Guest Country of Honour at LIBER 2025

Chile played a leading role in the International Book Fair as Guest Country of Honour. A delegation of 17 publishers, agencies and representatives of the book ecosystem were in attendance for a packed programme of cultural and professional events to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the award of the Nobel Prize to Gabriela Mistral, the first Latin American author to receive this award. Her legacy was one of the central themes of the programme, with interviews, round-table discussions and meetings highlighting her work alongside the voices of contemporary Chilean literature.

Chile' s presence at LIBER 2025 was supported by the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage, the Embassy of Chile in Spain, ProChile, DIRAC and Imagen de Chile, strengthening the ties between the two countries and their publishing industries.

LIBER 2025 award winners

The 2025 edition also saw the LIBER Awards presented at the Centro de Cultura Contemporánea Conde Duque, recognising the work of authors, professionals and book institutions on what was an exciting evening. At this year's ceremony, the LIBER Tribute award was presented to África Ramírez Olmos, former President of the Associació d’Editorials del País Valencià (AEPV), for the commitment and resilience shown by the Valencia region’s publishers during times like the “DANA” flooding in 2024. The best Latin American author award went to Rosa Montero; the LIBER Award for the promotion of reading in the media went to the journalist and great promoter of reading Antonio Martínez Asensio; the award for the best audiovisual adaptation went to the film Pedro Páramo; the LIBER 'Boixareu Ginesta' Award for bookseller of the year went to the Serendipia bookshop in Ciudad Real; while the LIBER Award for the promotion of reading in libraries open to the public was given to the Jaume Fuster Library in Barcelona.

Pictures of the LIBER 2025 award winners.

Organised by IFEMA MADRID and promoted by the Federation of Publishers Guilds of Spain, LIBER 2025 is sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, ICEX Spain Trade and Investment, the Community of Madrid, Madrid City Council, and the Spanish Copyright Licensing Agency (CEDRO). The fair also benefits from the collaboration of Acción Cultural Española (AC/E) and the Publishers’ Association of Madrid.

The next edition of LIBER will be held from 29 September to 1 October 2026.