HIGHLIGHTS FROM READMAGINE 25
NETWORKS AND COMMUNITIES IN THE INTERNATIONAL PUBLISHING WORLD
During the third day of Readmagine 25, a discussion took place on professional networks and the role of collaborative initiatives. This session was titled: We are family. In a recent panel discussion, a distinguished group of leaders from the publishing and tech industries explored the importance of collaboration networks and the role of digital platforms in connecting global communities.
TECHNOLOGY AND EDUCATION IN READMAGINE 25
Pablo Langa, CEO and founder of DDT and Partners, moderated in Readmagine 25 a vibrant discussion on the role of technology in education, engaging three industry experts: Alberto Polanco from Santillana Group, Tony Lorin from McGraw Hill International, and Alberto Valero from BQ.
INNOVATION IN THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY: A DIALOGUE OF PORTER ANDERSON WITH SARAH ARBUTHNOT AND ANNA LEMP
One of the sessions in Readmgaine 25 was devoted to something as general as «innovation». This concept is part of the origin, goals and development throughout the years of Reamagine itself. This conversation was moderated by Porter Anderson -traditional star during several Readmagine editions- and had Sarah Arbuthnot from Supadu and Anna Lemp from Hachette Livres as protagonists. The two of them provided insightful perspectives into their respective roles within the evolving landscape of publishing.
ACCESSIBILITY IN THE BOOK INDUSTRY: THE NEED OF PROGRESS IS UNDER PRESSURE
For the past six years, Readmagine has been focusing attention on the challenge of accessibility. In its 2025 edition, Readmagine included a session on the subject at the critical moment when the new European regulation will come into force just one month after the date of this discussion, moderated by Gregorio Pellegrino.
THINKPUB: THE IMPORTANCE OF LEARNING QUICKLY
This session consisted of a dialogue between educators who had conducted their workshops throughout the morning of the conference. Nathan Hull served as facilitator and moderator for this expert group (Ainoa Zalabardo, Aurora Payá, Michalis Kalamaras and Raúl Pérez). Nathan is a member of the ThinkPub consortium.
AURORA PAYÁ: STRATEGIES IN INNOVATIVE WORKFLOWS IN PUBLISHING
RAÚL PÉREZ: ORGANISING HYBRID PRODUCTIONS BETWEEN PRINT AND DIGITAL
As part of ThinkPub workshops during Readmagine 25, Raúl Pérez gave a highly interesting presentation on the new hybrid models (print and digital) that publishers can leverage to compete. Pérez is Digital Transformation Manager (Office of the CEO) at the Planeta Group.
MICHALIS KALAMARAS: MANAGING DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION IN SMALL AND MIDSIZE PUBLISHING HOUSES AS A STRATEGIC NECESSITY
One of the workshops held at ThinkPub (during this training day as part of Readmagine) was dedicated to providing guidance to independent publishing professionals on successfully managing the transformations brought about by digital transformation. This training workshop was led by Michalis Kalamaras (Thinking) and provided a wealth of practical and innovative ideas to an audience of over 100 people in the Casa del Lector auditorium. This workshop is supported by the ThinkPub consortium, a Creative Europe-funded initiative aimed at promoting digital innovation within the publishing sector.
RÜDIGER WISCHENBART: WHAT IS A BOOK? / BLACKBIRD
During his presentation in Readmagine 25 Rüdiger Wischenbart raised a series of thought-provoking questions that challenge the traditional understanding of what constitutes a book in the modern era and most of all within the professional community. What is a book? This question, though basic, resonated strongly with the audience in the Casa del Lector.
ENRICO TURRIN: REPORT ON THE EUROPEAN BOOK MARKET IN 2024
Enrico Turrin is the deputy director of the European Publishers Federation and has been providing Readmagine’s audience with his insider’s insight into the evolution of the book markets for many years. In this edition of Readmagine, the title of the Kraftwerk song «Transeurope Express» was chosen as the title of his presentation.
DRAGA, GÁLVEZ AND HOEPLI: THE RELATIONS BETWEEN ASSOCIATIONS AND PUBLIC ADMINISTRATIONS
During Readmagine 25, a conversation took place between three leading figures in the book industry, both from industry associations and the public sector. Luis González, Director General of the FGSR, coordinated this conversation based on his experience working in both the public and private sectors. The participants were Sonia Draga (President of the FEP), María José Gálvez (Director General of Books, Reading, and Libraries), and Giovanni Hoepli (Vice President of the IPA).
AINOA ZALABARDO: THE ROLE AND ADVANTAGES OF THE EX (EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCE)
This workshop by Ainoa Zalabardo (Xplain) focused on enhancing employee experience (EX) to drive improved customer experience (CX) for small and medium size publishing houses.
NEW AUDIENCES, NEW READERS, NEW LISTENERS: KEYS TO REACH AND ENGAGE YOUR COMMUNITY
Mariana Féged introduced the session highlighting the unique approaches of three admired publishers who has excelled in creating and expanding niches in their respective markets.
INNOVATION THROUGH CONTENT AND MULTIPLE FORMATS FOR MULTIPLE AUDIENCES
Here is a written summary of the insights and key points that were shared by the three participants in the session: Raúl Pérez (Head of Digital at Grupo Planeta), Stephanie Simonin (Audio Business Strategy IP and Brand Development at Bayard) and Alessandro Magno (Chief Digital Officer at Gruppo Feltrinelli).
NEW AUDIENCES AND WHERE TO FIND THEM
Readmagined by Bookwire has been created for the Readmagine conference in 2024, so this innovative company has taken over the curation of the last day of this edition and has focused it on the issue of «audiences.» Mariana Féged (General Manager Spanish Markets and EMEA) at Bookwire organised and facilitated a conversation with Antonio J. Rodriguez of Refugio, a digital strategy firm for publishers, and Jeremy Wong of Vesto PR and Books, a publicity agency.
JENS KLINGELHÖFER: OPPORTUNITIES IN NEW AUDIENCES FOR THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY
Jens Klingelhöfer, the founder of Bookwire, presented the sessions organised by the company within the framework of Readmagine. The third day of Readmagine was curated by Bookwire and that is why the title was “Readmagined by Bookwire”.
AN OVERVIEW ON BOOK ECOMMERCE PLATFORMS AND THEIR PROSPECTS
The discussion highlighted the resilience and adaptability of e-commerce book platforms in the face of market challenges and competition from Amazon. Both Bookshop.org and Adlibris have carved out unique niches by focusing on their strengths, ethical missions, and localized strategies. The conversation emphasized the ongoing evolution of the book retail landscape and the importance of staying attuned to customer needs and market trends.
ABOUT BOOKS DISCOVERABILITY
This session was focused on several dimensions of discoverability, from the challenges to the solutions that now are put in place. Arantza Larrauri offered several information and moderated the conversation with José Manuel Anta, and Searsha Sadek. Therefore session underscored the multifaceted nature of book discoverability, blending traditional methods with advanced AI technologies. As the industry evolves, integrating both analogue and digital strategies, and leveraging AI for personalized experiences, will be key to ensuring that books find their readers effectively.
DISCUSSION ON THE DATA MANAGEMENT CHALLENGES FOR PUBLISHERS
The discussion by Raúl Pérez, Michael Then, and Andrew Rhomberg in one of the most exciting sessions in Readmagine 24, collectively highlighted the evolving landscape of the publishing industry, marked by declining traditional readership, the rise of the secondary market, and the transformative potential of data.
RETHINKING BRAZIL IN READMAGINE: FOCUS MARKET BY MARCELO GIOIA
Every year there is a presentation in Readmagine focused in one particular market or region which helps the audience to get a more global perspective of the transformations in the publishing world happening in different parts of the world. During Readmagine 24 edition Brazil was chosen as the focus market and this was the second occasion when the big American country was selected.
WISCHENBART: PUBLISHING BEYOND PUBLISHERS: A PARADIGM SHIFT IN THE BOOK INDUSTRY
Rüdiger Wischenbart is a “resident speaker” in Readmagine since quite a lot of years. His approaches always seek to open the eyes of the audience about the transformations in the publishing business and that is very well rooted on the spirit and goals of Readmagine.
AND WHAT SHOULD WE LEARN NOW? WITH PORTER ANDERSON, ALMA ČAUSEVIČ AND LUIS GONZÁLEZ
During Readmagine 25 there was a session moderated session by Porter Anderson, (Publishing Perspectives), a compelling conversation unfolded around the evolving landscape of training and skill development within the book publishing industry. Anderson, joined by Luis González of GSR.
10 YEARS OF READMAGINE AT THE SAME VENUE
During the aperture of Readmagine 23, the director of the Fundación Germán Sánchez Ruipérez welcomed all the audience with this video. With this short video the aim of the organisers of this conference focused on Innovation for the Book Industry, Reading and Libraries is to show gratitude to the participants who share knowledge and ideas.
ENRICO TURRIN: THE EUROPEAN BOOK MARKET 2022/23
The Deputy DIrector of the European Federation of Publishers presented in Readmagine the latest data on the European book market in 2022 and some projections based on the first quarter figures of 2023.
THE DSA IS ADOPTED BY THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
The final text approved by the legislators amends some previous proposals that would have made the fight against illegal content more difficult than it already was under the E-Commerce Directive of 2000. This new Digital Services Act provides a more coherent legal framework that will allow European content sector (as the publishing industry) to continue protecting their content online.
BOIX, GONZÁLEZ AND PASOLI: THE POST-PANDEMIC FUTURE OF BOOK FAIRS
NEW TRAINING PROGRAMME WITH A FOCUS ON INNOVATION FOR SMES OF PUBLISHING INDUSTRY
PUBLIC MEASURES IN EUROPE TO SUPPORT THE BOOK SECTOR DURING THE PANDEMIC IN 2020
ALDUS UP: MAPPING DIFFERENCES IN STATISTICAL METHODOLOGIES FOR READING AND TRANSLATION
Europe is looking for homogeneous statistics on reading and translation. This is what emerges from two studies by Aldus Up, the European book fairs network co-founded in the framework of the Creative Europe programme and coordinated by the Italian Publishers Association (AIE), which are published on the network’s platform on 16 June during the Bologna Children’s Book Fair.
CONSEQUENCES OF THE COVID-19 CRISIS ON THE BOOK MARKET – AN OVERVIEW OF 2020
The Federation of European Publishers published a very interesting report on the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the book sector in Europe. Those days, many of our countries had just experienced the first wave of lockdowns. This new document updates the information from the previous survey with a first approximation of the impact of the pandemic on the book sector in 2020.
TRAINING PROGRAMME WITH A FOCUS ON INNOVATION AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY IN LITERARY TRANSLATIONS LAUNCHED FOR SMALL AND MEDIUM SIZED PUBLISHERS.
5 renowned book industry organizations team up, with support from Creative Europe, to disseminate market insights and practical leanings about novel approaches in publishing. (between April and June 2021)
THE K-HUB OF ALDUS UP EXPLAINS HOW THE NEW CREATIVE EUROPE PROGRAMME WILL SUPPORT THE BOOK SECTOR
The Commission plans to launch the first calls under the new Creative Europe programme in April and The Knowledge Hub of the Aldus Up project published an article by Enrico Turrin (Deputy Director of the European Federation of Publishers) with a clear recap of the new opportunities.
POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE PUBLISHING INDUSTRY UNDER THE NEW EUROPE’S DIGITAL COMPASS
The European Commission presented a communication on March 9th vision about the targets and strategies for a successful digital transformation of Europe by 2030, within the framework of the transition towards a climate neutral, circular and resilient economy. This strategy is named as a Europe’s Digital Decade, the course towards a digitally empowered Europe by 2030.
LUIS GONZÁLEZ (FGSR): “SKILLS FOR BUILDING DIGITAL BLOCKS”
In 2009 we contemplated the reading promotion and the publishing industry as if they were blank slates waiting for a next vision of the future to be defined because of the impact of Internet and digital devices. We despaired when we had no response to many of our attempts for engaging the institutions in reimagining the value propositions, workflows, procedures and even goals.
ALDUS UP’ AT FRANKFURT: PREPARING FOR THE RELAUNCH OF TRADE FAIRS
Aldus Up, the European network for the relaunch of trade fairs and the exchange of translation rights in Europe, makes its debut in Frankfurt with four professional meetings.
The European Commission-funded project looks to the digital world to create new ways of community building between readers and publishers, revolutionise the trade fair system and make it sustainable even after the Covid-19 crisis.
BRYAN O’LEARY: BUILDING A BETTER WORKFLOW
OREN TEICHER: INDIE BOOKSTORE RESURGENCE
During the Readmagine 2019 conference took place a professional conversation with Oren Teicher – CEO of the American Booksellers Association- with a selected group of publishers, distributors and booksellers at Casa del Lector (the FGSR headquarter).
The Deputy DIrector of the European Federation of Publishers presented in Readmagine the latest data on the European book market in 2022 and some projections based on the first quarter figures of 2023.
