The 38th edition of the Guadalajara International Book Fair (FIL) opened on November 30 and will run through Sunday, December 8. This year, the fair, which is the most important in the world for Spanish-language publishers, surpassed its pre-pandemic levels in terms of the number of book fair professionals in attendance, according to organizers, and the consensus among attendees was that there was a renewed energy at FIL.

“This year’s fair has exceeded our expectations in every way,” Marisol Schulz, director of FIL, told PW, who added that final statistics will be available next week. Last year, the fair drew more than 800,000 attendees, with the participation of 2,500 publishing houses and 18,000 publishing professionals, and the literary rights center sold 110 tables.

What is clear already is that the fair continued to strengthen its international presence. Spain, this year's guest of honor, brought dozens of popular authors and drew significant crowds to its events. The fair now regularly hosts stands from Norwegian Literature Abroad, Taiwan's book fair representatives, and the Bologna Children's Book Fair, which conducts seminars for children's book illustrators and launched a new award for early career illustrators, the Bologna Portfolio Prize, at FIL this year.

As demand for Spanish content grows north of the border, FIL's U.S. attendance has surged. More than 150 librarians joined the American Library Association/FIL Free Pass program, which sponsors librarians in acquiring Spanish-language materials.

Among several U.S. publishers in attendance was Ethan Nosowsky, editorial director at Graywolf Press. "The FIL is unique in that it is a significant trade show, yes, but it is also a major book festival," he said. "I love that the fair opens up to an enthusiastic public who are buying books directly from publisher stands, where they are generously displayed, and where young and old pack halls for author events. This public activity brings me back to the real purpose of what we are all doing as publishers." He added: "I have many meetings when I come to Guadalajara, yes, but unlike Frankfurt or London, I generally allow myself a good amount of free time so that I can wander the booths hunting for truffles. It's like browsing an excellent bookstore that doesn't exist in the United States."

Nosowsky said that he used the fair as an opportunity to meet with editors and publishers who he couldn't see in London or Frankfurt, such as those from Latin America who don't travel to Europe as frequently. "I'm able to more easily find congenial independents with whom Graywolf might feel simpatico," he said.

Viviana Castiblanco, editor at HarperCollins Español and first-time FIL attendee, also found the fair invaluable for making connections with Spanish-language partners. "It was a great opportunity to spread the word about our work at HarperCollins Español, which isn't always easy in New York City," she said. "However, the Spanish-speaking market in the U.S. is not yet an active part of the Latin American/Spanish conversation."

Castiblanco noted that the feel-good fiction trend that has become pervasive in the U.S. is also coming to the Spanish market. Historical fiction remains popular as well, with titles related to Latin American history particularly prominent. "I also see growing opportunities for upmarket fiction in translation from new languages other than English, like Chinese and Nordic languages," Castiblanco said. "FIL has also put an emphasis on the work of translators and how to approach translation from feminist and global South perspectives."

Carla Cumming Rivero, business development manager for Mexico and Latin America for the television and film agency Scenic Rights, concurred. "Audiences aren't just seeking stories set in Latin America," she said. "They want stories told by Latin Americans, with cultural nuances and perspectives that only local creators can provide."

Regarding FIL itself, Rivero noted the fair's particularly dynamic energy this year. "There is a clear sense that the industry is embracing innovation, especially in cross-cultural collaborations with Spanish-language projects," she said. "It's a moment of alignment between creative authenticity and market demand that will reshape how Latin American content is developed and consumed globally."

To wit, one the projects that has been heavily promoted on billboards around the fair was Netflix's adaptation of Gabriel García Márquez's One Hundred Years of Solitude. The Spanish-language television series premieres on December 11.