LIBER 2025 returns to Madrid to boost the international expansion of Spanish book sector

The current scenario for the publishing industry is one marked by international growth, technological innovation and new reading habits. In this context, LIBER 2025 International Book Fair, promoted by the Federation of Publishers' Guilds of Spain (FGEE) and organised by IFEMA MADRID, will hold its 43rd edition from 7 to 9 October at Hall 14.1 of the Recinto Ferial to cement its position as the biggest professional event in the sector.

Over the course of three days, LIBER will bring together a diverse cast of publishers, distributors, literary agents, suppliers, professional associations, and services companies, offering a comprehensive view of the current publishing landscape. It will serve as a hub for authors, booksellers, illustrators, and other industry professionals, making it a real focal point for the sector.

The President of the Federation of Publishers' Guilds of Spain, Daniel Fernández, and the Director General of Trade Fair and Congresses Business at IFEMA MADRID, Arancha Priede, officially presented this year’s edition before the media today.

Salón de Derechos: a new feature of this year's event

The international projection of Spanish books will be one of the main themes of this edition, with the addition of the Salón de Derechos. This space, dedicated exclusively to the buying and selling and negotiation of authors' and translators' rights, will bring together more than 60 publishers and literary agents from 24 countries, including Germany, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, the United States, Japan, Brazil and Chile. This see LIBER strengthen its commitment to the international expansion of the publishing sector and opens up new business opportunities for the global circulation of books, and for authors writing in the different languages of Spain. It also brings LIBER closer to the activities of other major international trade fairs.

Programme of guests

In order to continue with the international growth of the book and publishing sector in Spanish, the Buyers Programme, promoted by the FGEE with the collaboration of ICEX Spain Export and Investment and the Economic and Commercial Offices of Spain, will bring together over 300 professionals from 54 countries, with prominent representation from Europe and Latin America, as well as the United States, Canada and key markets like China, Japan, South Korea, India, Morocco, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Australia and Turkey.

The Priority Interest Decision-Makers Programme (PICE), held in collaboration with Acción Cultural Española (AC/E), will bring together 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.

Chile: Guest of Honour at LIBER 2025

The Guest Country of Honour as this year's edition will be Chile, with a delegation of 17 publishers, agencies and representatives of the book ecosystem, as well as a full programme of cultural and professional activities. The Chilean presence will coincide with the commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the award Nobel Prize to Gabriela Mistral, the first Latin American author to receive this award. Her legacy will be one of the central themes of the programme, with an inaugural choral reading, discussions and round-tables highlighting her work alongside the voices of contemporary Chilean literature.

The Chilean stand will be inaugurated on 7 October at 13:30 with a choral reading of Mistral's texts by women writers from different generations. In addition, over the three days of the fair, the Chilean delegation will also host a series of book launches, meetings with authors, poetry recitals and cultural activities that will reflect the bibliodiversity and vitality of Chilean creation.

Chile was last Guest Country in 2013 and will return to this role in 2025 to strengthen its links with the Spanish and international publishing industry. Chile's participation is supported by the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage, the Chilean Embassy in Spain, ProChile, DIRAC and Imagen de Chile.

Areas and spaces of the Fair

The Agora space will be another new feature in Hall 14.1 at LIBER. This forum dedicated to the presentation of products, services and experiences will function as a dynamic meeting point where exhibitors and professionals will be able to showcase projects, discuss trends and connect with a specialised audience.

The Book Industry Services Zone will bring together proposals aimed at helping publishers explore new business models, adapt their content to digital formats, diversify sales channels and adopt innovative strategies to reach new audiences. Finally, the MicroLiber space will facilitate the participation of small publishers, entrepreneurs and start-ups where they will have the opportunity to make direct contact with buyers and visitors. What's more, the general exhibition space will once again showcase a broad overview of current literary production.

Programme of professional conferences

The LIBER 2025 Professional Conferences, organised by the Federation of Publishers' Guilds of Spain, will be structured around four thematic blocks: innovation, professional training, marketing and sustainability. Over 70 activities with national and international experts will analyse everything from the impact of artificial intelligence and new technologies on the creation and distribution of books, to emerging audiences, sales models and the skills needed by professionals in the sector.

The programme also includes meetings with the US Librarians' Mission and with participants in the Priority Interest Decision-Makers Programme, as well as sessions dedicated to topical issues like European regulations on deforestation, the situation of the book market in Ukraine or translation programmes from countries such as the Czech Republic and Greece. The 6th Religious Books Conference will also be held and the Map of Colombian Literature will be presented, among other activities.

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

LIBER 2025 Awards

Meanwhile, on Wednesday 8 October at the Conde Duque Contemporary Cultural Centre, the LIBER 2025 Awards will be held, recognising the work of authors, professionals and book institutions. At this year's ceremony, the LIBER Tribute award will go to Valencian publishers, represented in person by África Ramírez Olmos, former President of the Associació d’Editorials del País Valencià (AEPV), for the commitment and resilience shown during times like the “DANA” flooding in the Valencia region in 2024 and indeed during the coronavirus pandemic.

The LIBER Award for the best Latin American author will be awarded to Rosa Montero; the LIBER Award for the promotion of reading in the media, to the journalist and great promoter of reading Antonio Martínez Asensio; the award for the best audiovisual adaptation, to the film Pedro Páramo; the LIBER 'Boixareu Ginesta' Prize for bookseller of the year will go to the Serendipia bookshop in Ciudad Real; and the LIBER Award for the promotion of reading in libraries open to the public, to the Jaume Fuster Library in Barcelona.