BARCELONA, Spain, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- Spain's largest publishing trade fair, Liber, is underway in Barcelona this week, bringing together industry professionals from around the world as the country's book industry seeks to strengthen international ties and expand into new markets.
Running from Sept. 29 to Oct. 1 at Barcelona's Gran Via venue, the fair features 250 exhibitors from 19 countries, including China, the United States, Germany, France and Italy.
The organizers said around 9,000 professionals attended the fair, with almost 40 percent coming from abroad. More than 4,000 business meetings are scheduled during the three-day event.
The fair comes amid continued growth in Spain's publishing industry. According to the Federation of Publishers' Guilds of Spain (FGEE), one of the organizers of the book fair, the sector generated 3.138 billion euros (3.68 billion U.S. dollars) in domestic sales in 2025, up 3.3 percent year on year and marking its 12th consecutive year of growth.
Manuel Gonzalez, president of the FGEE and Liber, said the fair aims to connect Spain's publishing industry with new markets, supported by a language spoken by nearly 600 million people worldwide.
This year's fair covers a wide range of sectors, including children's and young adult literature, adult fiction, and scientific, technical and educational publications.
