Environmental Safeguard Proposal Demands by Commission
Informal Take on the Lisbon Book Fair Drama
Guess who's stirring up a fuss over stalls at the Lisbon Book Fair? It's the independent and smaller publishers, and they're not too chuffed about the events unfolding. They're claiming the big boys, AKA the dominant publishing groups and food joints, are hogging all the space, leaving the little guys high and dry.
The Portuguese Publishers and Booksellers Association (APEL), in charge of organizing the fair, just couldn't believe the reaction from these publishers, accusing them of a years-long reign of refusing their requests for more stalls at the beautiful Eduardo VII Park. While the small fry struggle with limited space, the large groups continue to conquer territories like it's nothing.
APEL admits they've been refining their process for distributing stalls based on stats and diversity from the book sector, market activity, and introducing Portuguese lit to the world. They even consider the type of products to be showcased and their impact on promoting reading.
Orfeu Negro, Tinta-da-China, Relógio d'Água, Saída de Emergência, Ala dos Livros, Devir (and more) are voicing their recurring frustrations with refusals from APEL. Orfeu Negro, nursing two stalls, has been rejected for three years running for an expansion to three stalls, according to Leonor Rodrigues, coordinating their fair participation. Tinta-da-China claims it's been asking for additional space for five years and always gets a big fat "no". They feel it's a systemic rejection with the big groups gobbling up the Lisbon Book Fair space as they please, leaving no room for growth for the medium and smaller independent publishers, who also aren't present in APEL's lead team.
Last year, the fair already hit its 350 stall capacity, a number that remains the same this year, but with fewer publishers present. According to APEL's data, last year boasted 140 participants, and this year that number's dropped to 133, with some publishing groups adding more imprints.
APEL feels confident that gradually adjusting any distortions will make the stall allocation fairer, more balanced, and more justified for everyone.
The fair will swoop in with 350 stalls once again, expecting a massive influx of curious folks. Interestingly, the restaurant area has also expanded for this year's event. The Leya publishing group lords it over 39 stalls, the Porto Editora and Bertrand Circulo group flaunts 30, and Editorial Presença proudly shows off 20.
In response to the Lusa news agency, APEL professes its faith in a more egalitarian future for the stall space distribution.
The Lisbon Book Fair's Annual Screedown
Fun Facts (Enrichment Data):
- Limited space can disadvantage smaller publishers with fewer resources or influence, creating a competitive disadvantage.
- Allocation of stalls might favor larger or more established publishers due to factors like financial resources, marketing capabilities, or previous participation.
- Visibility and opportunities are often leveraged by large publishing groups, making it harder for smaller publishers to reach their target audience at the fair.
As large publishing groups expand, they may benefit from better relationships with event organizers, more financial muscle to secure prime spots, and higher visibility attracting more attendees. This can exacerbate the challenges faced by smaller publishers in securing stall space and getting noticed at the fair. Bummer, bro! Here's to hoping for more equitable plots for everyone next time!
Despite the ongoing attempts by independent and smaller publishers to expand their presence, they remain underserved at the Lisbon Book Fair, unable to compete with the dominant home-and-garden and entertainment sectors who occupy significant stall space. Being excluded from key decision-making positions within the Portuguese Publishers and Booksellers Association (APEL), these publishers find themselves at a disadvantage when it comes to securing space for showcasing their books, part of the home-and-garden and lifestyle genres, at the annual event.
