To keep an eye on: more than 330 independent labels and major authors at the Editors' Fair

The 2025 Editors' Fair ( FED 2025) is gearing up. As has been the case for recent seasons, the fourteenth edition will take place from Thursday, August 7th to Sunday, August 10th at the C Complejo Art Media , located at 6271 Corrientes Avenue (CABA), a meeting place for editors and readers, with free admission .

This time, more than 330 independent publishers from Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Mexico, Paraguay, Uruguay, and Spain will offer titles and new releases in fiction, essays, poetry, music and film, social sciences and humanities, journalism, illustrated books and picture books, graphic novels, and more.

FED 25 will also host literary activities, with 13 talks addressing topics such as how to write despite pain; how video games are changing the world; feminism in times of the far right; music as a creative force in Latin American narrative; how to narrate collective identity; poetry is what's happening, among other events.

As it does every year, the FED is updating its cultural offering with a multitude of activities, awards, and international visits, and is seeking to expand its audience to interact with the editors during the four days in August.

Last year, it attracted 24,600 visitors, although sales were far below expectations—a year to forget, in line with the economic crisis and the delicate situation facing national publishing houses . However, this year, a larger audience (around 15%) is expected, as well as an increase in sales with more affordable prices, which could fall "below 2023 levels," according to organizers.

There will be the Argentine films Godot, Sigilo, Ampersand, Caja negra, Entropía, Gourmet Musical, Eterna Cadencia, Mardulce, Pequeño Editor, Limonero, Libros del Zorro Rojo, Calibroscopio, Adriana Hidalgo, Blatt & Ríos, Chai, El cuenco de plata, unaLuna, Alto Pogo, La Flor Azul, Corregidor, Marea, Gog & Magog, Asunto impreso, among others.

From abroad, the following imprints will be issued: Fósforo, Lote 42 (Brazil); Cuneta, Banda propia, La Pollera (Chile); Abisinia, Mirabilia, Luna Libros (Colombia); Gris Tormenta, Elefanta, Almadía (Mexico); Arandurá (Paraguay); Criatura, Hum, Estuario (Uruguay); and Barrett, Páginas de espuma, Minúscula, and Página indómita (Spain).

Among the international visitors expected are Lithuanian-British writer Marijam Didžgalvytė; Mexican author Socorro Venegas ; and Brazilian poet, singer, and composer Tatiana Nascimento . Among the national authors are Dolores Reyes, María Sonia Cristoff, Pablo Semán, Verónica Gago, Edgardo Scott, Juan Mattio, Paula Puebla, Juan Ruocco, Walter Lezcano, and Gustavo Yuste, among others.

Among the main new features will be the Bookseller's Labor Award, which consists of awarding the winning bookstore $2,000,000 to purchase books at the FED ; the FED25 Poster Award ; and the Rumbo a Guadalajara Award, which entails a publisher traveling to the Guadalajara International Book Fair to promote cultural exchange with the region's publishing industry, in addition to receiving training. The award is sponsored by Thomson Reuters, and the winner will be announced on August 7 at the FED.

In this regard, Víctor Malumián, director of the Editors' Fair , spoke at a virtual press conference with accredited media.

“This award is being presented for the first time. For me, it's something epic, something we've long dreamed of : fulfilling a role that was lacking in cultural communities. The jury was composed of Gaby Adamo, Carlos Díaz, and Enrique Avogadro, three people with extensive careers,” he emphasized.

The Bookseller Award, on the other hand, aims to recognize the work of bookstores across the country and their relationship with the community. This work goes far beyond selling books: it encompasses the dissemination of thought and literature, their cultural presence as a meeting place, and their relationship with the surrounding community.

The 2025 finalists are: Libro de Oro (Tucumán); Magia (CABA); Los Confines (Villa Ballester); Fervor (Mar del Plata); Citybell (City Bell, Buenos Aires province). The winner will also be announced on Thursday, August 7, at the FED and will receive a 50% discount on the purchase of books at the C Complejo Art Media in Chacarita, where the event is taking place.

Additionally, as every year, the FED usually gives away 7,000 books to those waiting in line to enter the venue. This time, the theme will be "The Scam." For this purpose, the organizers invited a dozen Argentine writers to speak about the topic.

"We thought this was the issue with everything that's been happening with cryptocurrencies and people selling courses. It's almost a pyramid scheme ," Maulimián emphasized.

Last year, the topic at hand was "violence": "In the middle of the Fair, when we were giving it away, the issue of the former president (Alberto Fernández) with the First Lady (Fabiola Yañez), the chats, and the issue of gender violence came to light. It was simply a feature of the times that we saw, and the same thing is happening in this case ," the FED director emphasized.

There will also be a space for the Buenos Aires Hemocenter blood donation campaign , as it happens every year, organized by Céspedes Libros and a group of bookstores.

For more information, the Editors' Fair is available on its website www.feriadeeditores.com.ar and on the social networks @feriadeeditores (Instagram), @feditores (X), Feriadeeditores (Facebook) and on its YouTube channel of the same name.