First assessment of the Book Fair: a recovery compared to last year, but far from 2023

With more people and more sales , the 49th Buenos Aires International Book Fair It has had its "spring" in the midst of autumn, accompanied by ideal weather: with sunny days, far from the intense cold and rain that at times reached 25 degrees, with plenty of activities , key dates to explore, and books to buy. Overall, the balance has been very good , although there are still some areas that could be improved.

"We are very happy with the results of this Fair. A Fair that demonstrates the power of the book sector and also demonstrates people's enthusiasm for sharing cultural experiences," said Christian Rainone, president of the El Libro Foundation, the organizer of the fair, this afternoon, regarding his first exhibition at the helm of the organization.

And it turns out the balance was positive after a catastrophic 2024. This 2025 clearly had more people and also more sales. The decisive factor, say exhibitors and visitors, was the affordable price of general admission ($5,000 on weekdays and $8,000 on weekends). But the positive results also leave a somber aspect: the numbers fell below the sales and attendance levels of 2023. That, too, must be said.

“This year, the Fair attracted 10% more visitors than in the 2024 edition. Our challenge for the 50th edition will be to add more offerings, more experiences, more audiences, more innovation, and thus contribute, through the El Libro Foundation, to creating more readers and continuing to strengthen our magnificent publishing industry ,” Rainone added in the first assessment hours before the closing of the fair.

According to official data provided by the Fundación el Libro, just under 1,300,000 visitors toured the more than 42,700 square meters of exhibition space during the 19 days of the fair , 10% more than the 1,126,351 people who attended the previous edition, confirming its trend and the public's interest in attending in times of crisis. It should be noted that, in 2023, more than 1,200,000 people visited the La Rural venue in Palermo. In other words, the trend has far exceeded one million people since the Fair returned in 2022 after the pandemic.

Another positive factor has been the overall sales volume at the stands, which has increased by between 20% and 30% compared to the previous year, when it had suffered a brutal collapse, with drops of 40% and, in some cases, 50% in book sales per unit.

Of course, people bought copies without having to resort to as many promotions as there were in 2024. This year, the only one in effect was the one from Banco Provincia, with benefits of just a 10% discount with a debit or credit card and three interest-free installments (later, they extended it to six interest-free installments).

Another positive aspect was the "key" days : both organizers and publishers know that the first few days of opening are really "slow," both in sales and attendance. The Fair only really began to pick up steam on May 1st (a change of month and Labor Day holiday). On Thursday, May 1st, La Rural exploded with people (including record sales), and this continued on Friday the 2nd (a long weekend holiday), Saturday the 3rd, and Sunday the 4th.

There was also a larger number of visitors at the Fair during the weekends, mainly on the last weekend, 24 hours before the final closing time. A good flow of visitors (and sales) was also expected for Monday, May 12 , the last day. This is a trend that has been increasing in recent years, according to several managers of the larger stands.

Finally, the National Commission of Popular Libraries ( Conabip ) events typically boost book sales at the Fair. This year, the presence of 1,008 libraries (940 with subsidies) was moved to the last weekend , when it typically occurs in the first few days and sets the bar for sales throughout the Fair. This change is highly attractive and also positive for publishers.

At Planeta (stand 917 – Green Pavilion), they announced that sales in terms of units increased by 25% compared to the 2024 Fair . The five best-selling books are: The Eternauta ($34,900); Recipes for a Better Life (Daniel López Rosetti, $25,900); Wings of Blood (Rebecca Yarros, $37,400); In Case We Return One Day (María Dueñas, $29,900) and Happiness (Gabriel Rolón, $37,800).

For her part, Valeria Fernandez Naya, Marketing and Communications Director at Penguin Random House, considered that they had a “very good year” and estimated the growth in units at 25% above the year 2024. The best-selling book this edition was La muerte ajena (Other Death ), by Claudia Piñeiro ($34,999), she indicated and added: “In terms of attendance by the general public, we believe that this weekend will be one of the strongest, the hallways, the rooms and the book signing spaces were packed.”

At the Penguin Random House stand (stand 1017, Green Pavilion), the most purchased books were En agosto nos vemos ($25,999), by Gabriel García Márquez, “it remains among the ten best-selling books at our stand for the second consecutive year,” clarified Fernandez Naya. And he continued: “ Books by and about Pope Francis are sought after by readers, following his death. The figure of Mario Vargas Llosa, also recently deceased, was honored, generating renewed interest in his works . And in addition to Piñeiro’s book, which is among the best-selling authors and remains in the national top 10, Eduardo Sacheri, with his title Too Far Away ($37,499), is one of the most in-demand, in addition to Samanta Schweblin with The Good Evil ($24,999) and Han Kang—the first Korean woman to win the Nobel Prize in Literature—who leads sales with titles such as The Vegetarian ($23,999), The Greek Lesson ($23,999), and Human Acts ($23,999).”

“The Fair is fantastic; a huge number of people came. Unlike other years, there were no peaks or sharp declines; it was even and very good, ” said Raúl Carioli, director of Prometeo Editorial (stand 822, Green Pavilion), confirming the positive trend seen at the Fair. In terms of sales, there was a 30% increase in copies . “The feeling is that there was a ceiling of 30,000, which was tough for buyers.”

Prometeo's average book sales are $25,000 per copy. The bestsellers: all books by Miguel Benasayag : In Praise of Conflict ($24,900); Clinic of Discomfort: Psychotherapy in the Face of New Psychic Sufferings ($20,090); and Artificial Intelligence Doesn't Think (Neither Does the Brain) ($19,800). Next up are Let's Desert (Francio Bifo Berardi, $23,500) and Counter-Pedagogies of Cruelty (Rita Segato, $19,800). "Books critiquing Artificial Intelligence also performed well," Carioli noted.

Lugar Editorial (stand 814, Green Pavilion), which promotes and sells children's and young adult books, school textbooks, essays, vocational training textbooks, and scientific outreach textbooks, among others, reported that sales "increased by 15% to 20% , not including data from Sunday and Monday, the closing date of the Fair."

The best-selling books: The Rebellion of Fantasy (by Marcela Carranza, $23,000), Neuropsychological Education in Childhood (by Carina Cabo, $19,900), and Pedagogy for the Earth (by Adrián Monteleone and Carlos Fernández Balboa, $20,900). “The Fair was well-attended, and sales improved,” commented Graciela Rosenberg, director of Lugar Editorial.

Something similar happened at Homo Sapiens Ediciones —which shares its stand with Lugar Editorial—which saw a 30% increase in unit sales compared to the previous year. The bestsellers: Challenges of Adolescence (by Lucas Raspall, $24,500); Violence: Overwhelmed Families and Schools (by Mariano Cranco, awarded the best education book published in 2024, $19,900); School as a Refuge (by Carina Kaplan, $16,500). “In general, we've had a great turnout in recent days, and sales have improved ,” summarized José Perico Pérez, director of Homo Sapiens Ediciones.

Caja Negra Editora did not reveal sales volumes by unit, however, it did say that the most requested titles were its national titles . Highlights include the reissue of Michel Nieva's first two novels, which until now had been unavailable, compiled in a single volume under the title Ficciones Gauchopunks ($24,000) and Materiales para una pesadilla ($29,500), the Argentine new weird novel by Juan Mattio, "a true reading phenomenon" with its first print run sold out, according to an announcement made at booth 826, Green Pavilion.

Another of the most requested copies is The Empire of Normalcy (by British philosopher Robert Chapman, $27,000), a book that comes to strain the relationship that exists between the breakdown of our mental health and the capitalism in which we live.

Another Caja Negra classic is Capitalist Realism (by Mark Fisher, $24,000), a must-have at the Fair that continues to find readers and fans and remains fiercely contemporary. Attention Deranged (by Claire Bishop, $29,000) is another book that made the Fair's top five.

While the volume of visitors and sales are encouraging for the coming years, the Fair has some shortcomings that remain unresolved.

According to experts who have spent decades at the Fair's main stands, the first few days are often slow or "discouraging" for the public because it's the end of the month.

This year, the La Rural grounds were virtually deserted on Saturday, April 26th, the night of the fair. This was the first Saturday after opening with free admission for visitors from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM, when things improved. Something similar happened on Monday the 28th, when the turnstiles were opened for free entry from 8:00 PM to 10:00 PM.

At first, some booth managers were concerned, as they quietly commented that the number of visitors had plummeted 45% compared to the previous year, a time when the crisis was severe and inflation was much higher than in 2025. However, visitor numbers and book sales began to pick up speed starting May 1st , also thanks to the "turnstile release," with free entry Monday through Thursday from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Furthermore, there were few foreign visitors , mainly during the Professional Days, due to the rising value of the dollar in neighboring countries, which also affected the presence of international tourists.

They also highlighted the lack of technology or signage for accessing stands or events in the halls . While this year saw a significant change with the addition of several LED screens providing information on the premises, some consider them insufficient.

"There are few screens at the Fair, unlike others in countries like the United States or Europe, where the visual aspect of the stands predominates," said Raúl Carioli, director of Editorial Prometeo.

" The incredible thing is that the book has not been displaced from its central role by the image at this fair , being a decisive element in marking an Argentine distinction," he clarified.

Overall, the 2025 Buenos Aires International Book Fair's overall balance is more than positive for what's to come in future editions, with the presentation of a special book for the Fair's 50th anniversary in 2026 and many more surprises to be revealed later.