This marks the fourth year of the international professional program held as part of the Thessaloniki International Book Fair, where publishers, authors, literary agents, translators, and publishing professionals from around the world are gathering at the Thessaloniki International Book Fair to exchange ideas, forge partnerships, and explore new opportunities in the global publishing landscape.

This year’s expanded professional program takes place at the DIALOGOS Rights Center (Booth 15, HELEXPO Exhibition Center).

This year, the 40 participants from around the world will contribute their ideas and expertise in the areas of rights management, artificial intelligence, the promotion of reading, and translation funding models. The “Spanish phenomenon” will be explored as a best practice, as well as the parallel lives of books and media, particularly in the age of social media.

International Book Markets

The program begins with a presentation of the Greek publishing industry and ELIVIP’s initiatives: GreekLit, BIBLIONET, the 1st International Children’s Book Fair in Patras, International fairs, by Nikos Bakounakis, President of ELIVIP, and Panagiotis Kapos, Ph.D. in Communication, Media, and Culture, Vice President of ELIVIP.

The guest of honor, Bulgaria, provides an overview of its publishing market with Gergana Pancheva, literary agent and director of the Sofia Literary Agency, and Svetlozar Zhelev, Director of the National Book Center of Bulgaria. Discussing trends in children’s books and opportunities for international collaborations are: Zornitsa Hristova, Editor-in-Chief at Tochitza Publishers, and Dessislava Grozdanova, Editor-in-Chief at Fox Books Publishing, moderated by Dessislava Zheleva, Editor at Colibri Publishing. Discussing the main challenges faced by translators of Bulgarian literature into Greek, contemporary trends, and the connections fostered through translation are: Blagorodna Filevska, translator; Spyros N. Pappas, translator; and Zdravka Mihaylova, translator, moderated by Gergana Pancheva.

The Role of Literary Agents

How do books transcend the boundaries of their original language and reach readers around the world? Literary agents from major publishing houses, participating in this year’s Thessaloniki International Book Fair fellowship program, will discuss their role in spreading stories across borders. From translation and rights to emerging international trends, they will discuss how books travel across languages, cultures, and markets in today’s interconnected publishing landscape.

Speakers: Deniz Topaktas, Isbank Cultural Publications, Turkey; Joanna Maciuk, Wydawnictwo Mięta, Poland; Tasja Dorkofikis, Linden Editions, UK; Adrian Kasnitz, Parasitenpresse, Germany. Moderator: Marie Desmeures, Noir sur Blanc / Notabilia, France.

The fellows also discuss their role in the buying and selling of rights and the impact of book fairs and digital platforms on the promotion of titles. Speakers: Flora Esterly, Farrar Straus & Giroux, USA, Evita Pilla, Penguin Random House, UK, Cristina Garcia Hidalgo, Grupo Planeta, Spain, Adèle Rolland-Le Dem, Editions Gallimard, France. Moderated by Niki Davarinou, Literary Agent at Read & Right Agency. Industry professionals from around the world will also examine how children’s book rights are negotiated and managed, from illustration contracts and copyright issues to licensing and translation agreements. Speakers: Kim Laura Franzke, Ueberreuter Verlag GmbH, Germany; Mireia Trius, Zahorí Books, Spain; Pedro Reisinho, Zero a Oito, Portugal; Davide Loppo, Terre di mezzo Editore, Italy. Moderated by Claire Rivkin, Random House Children’s Books, USA.

What does the term “Spanish phenomenon” mean?

In recent years, the Spanish publishing industry has experienced strong growth and gained international influence. Driven by a dynamic publishing sector, the global reach of the Spanish language, and close ties to Latin American markets, Spanish publishers have significantly expanded their presence in the field of international rights trading and translation. Today, Spain is one of the most active players in the global book market, promoting authors who write in Spanish around the world and fostering cultural dialogue through books.

Speaking on this phenomenon are: José Manuel Anta, CEO of the Spanish Federation of Book Publishers, and Faidon Kydoniatis, Publisher and Vice President of the Federation of European Publishers.

Jesús González González, Deputy Director General for the Promotion of Books, Reading, and Spanish Literature, will speak about how funding programs, public institutions, and publishing houses work together to support the translation of Spanish literature into other languages.

Books & Media

This new theme within the professional program begins with a discussion on the second life of books: Books of historical or collectible value and all forms of printed information (newspapers, magazines, printed documents) can now be given a new lease on life through the use of technology. They can be made more easily accessible to researchers, and their content can be transformed into new publications and other cultural applications: podcasts, vidcasts, educational materials, small-scale exhibitions, and digital archives. Andreas Tsiliras, Cultural Manager and Publisher; Vasilis Gatos, Director of Research, Institute of Informatics & Telecommunications, NCSR “Demokritos,” and Katerina Christopoulou, co-founder of Al4doc, will present relevant examples and discuss the needs of publishers, libraries, collections, and cultural organizations.

The rise of BookTok, which has significantly influenced reading trends and book sales by reigniting interest in both new releases and older titles, will also be discussed. To what extent has it evolved into a strong community of readers with whom publishers can interact and on whom they can rely? Speakers: Elena Pataki, Publisher, Patakis Publications; Eleni Papageorgiou, Publisher, Metaixmio Publications; Athina Daskaleas, Director of Marketing & Communications, Psychogios Publications; and Giannis Pliotas, Marketing Director, Dioptra Publications.

The interaction between sports, cinema, and music with literature and the publishing world, and the shaping of narratives, audiences, and cultural trends, is the subject of another discussion featuring the following speakers: Giorgos Mouroutis, publisher, Athens Bookstores, journalist Sotiris Triantafyllou, President of the Panhellenic Federation of Journalists’ Unions, Apostolia Papaioannou, Director of the Mediterranean Film Institute – Producer, and Dimitris Vasilakis, saxophonist, composer, poet, and academic researcher.

Small Languages – Great Literature

How can literature written in smaller or less widely spoken languages reach an international readership? Translation professionals will discuss the importance of supporting translation, as well as funding programs, international collaborations, and best practices for promoting diverse voices in the global book market. Speakers: Simeon Aleksandar, Creative Europe Desk Bulgaria; Kostas Trakosas, Creative Europe Desk Greece; Hipsime Madoyan, Head of Publishing (Antares, Armenia); Veronika Chaloupkova, Editor, Literary Agent (Argo Publishers, Czech Republic), and Tere Irastortza Garmendia, Poet, Translator (Basque Country).

Every year, the Creative Europe funding program supports publishers, organizations, and authors from European countries to translate and publish their books in other languages, engage in international collaborations to promote them, organize festivals, events and fellowships, and to participate in book fairs and festivals. Swedish author Erica Hindborg from the Trans-European Journeys project (2025–2027), Slovenian authors Jana Bauer and Andreja Peklar from the Connected with Books project (2024–2026), Greek publisher Nestoras Poulakos (Vakchikon Publications), and Kostas Trakosas, representative of the Creative Europe Desk Greece, will discuss their experiences and the opportunities that arise from the participation of book professionals in such collaborations.

Anne Bergman-Tahon, Director of the Federation of European Publishers, who is visiting Thessaloniki as a guest of ELIVIP, is hosting an event for the European Union Prize for Literature (EUPL) featuring three of its authors: Makis Malafekas [shortlist 2025, Greece, for his book *Deepfake*], Lusine Kharatyan [shortlist 2023, Armenia, for her book *A Syrian Affair*], and Anja Mugerli [Slovenia], who won the 2021 prize for her book *Bee Family*.

Book Generators – The Future of Publishing

With an eye toward the future, this theme addresses issues of artificial intelligence, legislation, rights, translation, and freedom of expression.

Senja Pozar, Editor-in-Chief of the Journal for Artificial Intelligence and Sustainable Development (JAISD) and Financial Officer at IRCAI under the auspices of UNESCO at the Jožef Stefan Institute in Ljubljana; Emilia Diamantopoulou, Founder, Rhyme&Reason Language Services, and Panagiotis Kapos, PhD in Communication, Media, and Culture, Vice President of ELIVIP, will examine how research and development based on artificial intelligence is shaping the future of publishing. The speakers will discuss the opportunities these tools offer for accelerating content creation, supporting authors, foster a love of reading among the younger generation, and discover new publishing models, while also examining issues related to authorship, intellectual property, transparency, and publishing accountability.

How can intellectual property be protected and accountability ensured without restricting free speech or editorial independence? Christina Banou, Professor (“Book Policy and Publishing”), Department of Archival Science, Library and Museum Studies at the Ionian University, Jessica Sänger, Director of European and International Affairs at the German Publishers and Booksellers Association, and José Borghino, Secretary General of the International Publishers Association, will examine how emerging regulatory frameworks—such as the EU’s Artificial Intelligence Act and related digital legislation—are shaping the use of artificial intelligence in the publishing industry. The discussion will highlight the key challenges publishers face when integrating artificial intelligence, as well as how the industry can responsibly adopt these tools, while safeguarding both intellectual property and the fundamental principles of free expression.

Artificial Intelligence and Translation Rights for Lesser-Used Languages: Will AI reshape the model and terms for selling translation rights for lesser-used languages? How are rights contracts for the use of archives and translation changing? Is there an attempt to bypass the local publisher? How can publishers in smaller languages strengthen and renew their decisive role in the market for translated books? These issues will be discussed by: Katerina Fragou, Literary Agent, Founder, Iris Literary Agency; Gergana Pancheva, Literary Agent, Director, Sofia Literary Agency; and Yannis Pliotas, Marketing Director, Dioptra Publications. Moderated by Michalis Kalamaras, Publishing Consultant, Thinking; Founder, eAnagnostis.gr.

The fellows of the professional program will discuss the implementation of effective AI practices and how these can support more efficient, inclusive, and sustainable models in the publishing world. Speakers: Noor Van Pelt, Commissioning Editor, HarperCollins, Netherlands, Costel Postolache, CEO, Integral Publishers, Romania, and Eleni Karametaxas, co-CEO, Helvetiq, Switzerland. Moderator: Fatimah Abbas, Publishing Consultant, AI Strategy Designer, and Founder of the FALA Agency.

As part of this theme, the role of independent bookstores in the region as cultural hubs will also be discussed. We will examine how provincial bookstores function as hubs of the local community—by organizing events, supporting local authors, promoting a culture of reading, and creating spaces for dialogue and communication. Speakers include: Evripidis Konstantinidis, Bookseller; Demi Koutsostamati, Little Bookstores; and representatives of bookstores in Northern Greece.