LIBER 2025 to pay tribute to África Ramírez for her commitment to the Valencian publishing sector

The Board of Directors of the Federation of Publishers' Guilds of Spain (FGEE) is pleased to announce that LIBER 2025 will pay tribute to África Ramírez Olmos, Managing Editor of Balandra Edicions and former President of the Associació d’Editorials del País Valencià (AEPV). The LIBER Tribute will take place on 8 October, at the Conde Duque Cultural Centre in Madrid, during the LIBER 2025 Awards. The event will be held to coincide with the LIBER 2025 International Book Fair, running from 7 to 9 October at IFEMA MADRID.

With this recognition, LIBER looks to highlight África Ramírez Olmos's professional career and her firm commitment to driving the publishing ecosystem in the Valencian Community, especially during critical times like the DANA floods of 2024, which affected dozens of publishing houses.

The same event will also see the presentation of the LIBER Award for the best audiovisual adaptation of a literary work, which this year has gone to the film Pedro Páramo; the LIBER Award for the promotion of reading in the media, to the journalist and communicator Antonio Martínez Asensio; the ‘Boixareu Ginesta' Award for bookseller of the year, which goes to 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. The LIBER Award for outstanding Ibero-American Author will also be presented to Rosa Montero.

Three decades in the publishing sector

África Ramírez, born in Valencia in 1964, has over three decades’ experience in the publishing sector, in which she has worked tirelessly as a publisher, trainer, and communicator. Since 1988, she has been actively involved in the professional development of the industry, delivering courses, publishing specialised articles, commissioning exhibitions, participating in round-table discussions and serving on awards panels for the sector and literary competitions.

From 2018 up until last July, África served as Chair of the Associació d’Editorials del País Valencià (AEPV). In that role, she helped strengthen the publishing fabric of Valencia. During her time at the helm, the AEPV consolidated its international position as a leader in projects like LIT-UP, as part of the Creative Europe programme, improving international competitiveness of Valencian publishers, enhancing their catalogues and promoting their authors overseas. África has also represented the Federation of Publishers' Guilds of Spain (FGEE) and is a patron of the Fundación FULL.

She has also played a very important role over the past year in difficult circumstances.  Under her presidency, the association became an example of collective resilience, especially during the 2024 flooding in the region caused by a “cut-off low” weather phenomenon or DANA in Spanish. The association coordinated aid strategies, with solidarity campaigns like the Llibres de la DANA campaign and centrally channelled dialogue with the public administration and other stakeholders in the sector.

About Liber

Internationally recognized as one of the main trade fairs for the export, exhibition and promotion of Spanish-language publishing, this year LIBER will bring together more than 350 publishers and companies in Madrid to present their catalogues and new releases, as well as products and services relating to the marketing and distribution of books. The fair also includes an extensive programme of professional conferences to discuss and reflect on current issues related to the book value chain.

LIBER 2025 is organised by IFEMA MADRID and promoted by the Federation of Publishers’ Guilds of Spain (FGEE). It is sponsored by the Ministry of Culture, ICEX Export and Investments, CEDRO, the Regional Government of Madrid, Madrid City Council, and enjoys the collaboration of Acción Cultural Española (AC/E) and the Association of Publishers of Madrid.

África Ramírez image gallery here