The most recent edition of the Guadalajara International Book Fair, held between November 25th and December 3rd, 2023, resulted in USD 850,000 in new business and expectations for the next 12 months for the delegation of 14 publishers participating in the Brazilian Publishers — internationalization project for Brazilian editorial content carried out through a partnership between the Brazilian Book Chamber (CBL) and the Brazilian Export and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil).
Representatives from the publishers Árvore, Biblioteca do Exército, Bom Bom Books, Callis, Carochinha, Edições SESC, Editora do Brasil, Girassol, Global Editora, Livraria Internacional SBS, Mil Caramiolas, Ôzé Editora, Panda Books and Todolivro were present. Rayanna Pereira, coordinator of Brazilian Publishers; Karine Gonçalves Pansa, President of the International Publishers Association (IPA) and editorial director of Girassol; and Luiz Alvaro Salles Aguiar de Menezes, IPA chief of staff, also went to Guadalajara.
In addition to professionals from the publishing market, renowned authors Amara Moira, Antônio Xerxenesky, Guiomar de Grammont, Itamar Vieira Junior, Jeferson Tenório, Kátia Bandeira de Mello Gerlach, Luiza Romão, Maria Alzira Brum Lemos and Morgana Kretzmann were also part of the Brazilian delegation. They participated, among other programs, in “Destinação Brasil”, a project promoted by the Brazilian Embassy in Mexico 11 years ago with the aim of expanding the dissemination of Brazilian literature in the international market.
Brazilian Publishers also promoted an exclusive Brazilian stand, which featured a full program of events. On the 27th, a matchmaking event accompanied by breakfast took place between Brazilian editors and publishers from the United Kingdom. On the 29th, it was the turn of Colombian publishers to participate in matchmaking at the Brazilian stand, followed by Caipirinha Hour, a traditional networking event that brought together hundreds of publishing market professionals and which, for the first time, was held in partnership with MVB, technological solutions platform for the book market.
“We are extremely happy with the positive impact we achieved”, says Sevani Matos, president of CBL. “The fair provided not only significant business opportunities, but also strengthened the presence of Brazilian literature on the international scene. The collaboration between publishers and authors was exceptional, solidifying our role as promoters of Brazil’s diversity and literary excellence in the world”, she concludes.
Rayanna Pereira, coordinator of Brazilian Publishers, emphasized the creation of significant links between Brazilian professionals and international players, highlighting the crucial participation of Brazilian authors in promoting national literature on a global scale. For her, the expectation is that these interactions will leave a lasting impact on the dissemination of Brazilian literary wealth beyond its borders.
About CBL
Brazilian Book Chamber (CBL) is a non-profit association, representing publishers, booksellers, distributors, and other professionals in the sector. For 77 years it has been working on several fronts, always with the aim of promoting access to books and the democratization of reading throughout the country, besides promoting Brazilian literature in the international market. Since March 2020, CBL is the National Agency of the ISBN and, in the same period, it has launched a digital platform, which brings together its services in an integrated and dynamic way. Another powerful performance of the entity is linked to a relations agenda with the most diverse public and governmental spheres to discuss important guidelines and policies for the sector. All its actions are elaborated with a strategic and sensitive vision of those who believe in the transforming power of books for society.
About Brazilian Publishers
Created in 2008, the Brazilian Publishers is an industry project for the promotion of Brazilian editorial content, the result of a partnership between the Brazilian Book Chamber (CBL) and the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil). The initiative aims at promoting the Brazilian editorial industry in the global market in a guided and organized manner, supporting the operationalization of publishers.
About ApexBrasil
The Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (ApexBrasil) works to promote Brazilian products and services abroad and attract foreign investments to strategic sectors of the Brazilian economy. In order to achieve its goals, ApexBrasil carries out several trade promotion initiatives aimed at promoting Brazilian products and services abroad, such as prospective and trade missions, business rounds, support to the participation of Brazilian companies in major international fairs, visits of foreign buyers and opinion makers to learn about the Brazilian productive structure, among other business platforms that also aim at strengthening the Brazil brand.