The fourth annual RISE Bookselling Conference took place April 19-20 in Verona, Italy, bringing together some 300 booksellers from 34 countries. Prior to the official start of the conference, attendees took walking tours of Verona before convening at the Biblioteca Capitolare, the oldest, still-functioning library in the world, for drinks and a welcome reception.
The conference included 26 sessions of panels, workshops, and keynotes, with 71 speakers involved. At the end of the conference's final sessions, EIBF president Fabian Paagman revealed that next year's conference will take place April 18-19 in Galway, Ireland.
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| Iva Pezuashvili in conversation with Jessica Sänger | |
"I'm putting myself at risk," said Georgian writer Iva Pezuashvili, who appeared in conversation with Jessica Sänger of Germany's Börsenverein. The pair discussed Georgia's ruling political party, Georgia Dream, the country's turn toward authoritarianism over the last few years, and the danger Pezuashvili and other outspoken writers face.
"What else to do?" Pezuashvili continued. "Shut up? Or close your eyes? What is the option? If you step back, they will step forward. And there will be a wall against your back. While you're still standing, you should speak and raise your voice."
Pezuashvili recounted how, a few years ago, the Georgian government created a law whereby receiving grants or financial support from the European Union or another country can get someone labeled as a "foreign agent." Modeled after a similar law in Russia, it can lead to up to six years in prison.
The government has also been "weaponizing language" through things like the creation of a law, ostensibly about protecting "family values," that conflates LGBTQ identities with pedophilia. Writers are especially dangerous to these sorts of authoritarians, he said, because writers are the ones trying to "save words."
Pezuashvili recalled that when Georgia Dream first came to power, he closed his eyes, because while he didn't like Georgia Dream, he also didn't especially like the people running against them. He said he's come to regret that, warning: "Don't close your eyes on anything. Every small, un-democratic act will lead to totalitarianism. Resistance is always the way. Protest everything, every small thing."
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In a panel discussion on how young booksellers see the future of the industry, the panelists expressed optimism about the future of books and their importance in society, but a lot of pessimism about political changes in the immediate future.
Desislava Grozdanova, bookseller at FOX Book Cafe in Sofia, Bulgaria, noted that Bulgaria's parliamentary elections were underway and things were "not looking very bright," with the conservative, pro-Russian party expected to win handily. Right-wing support is on the rise throughout the country, Grozdanova said, mentioning that last summer, the government passed a bill banning the promotion of "nontraditional sexual values." That has led to a lot of young people feeling "unsafe at school." At the same time, it has provided Grozdanova and the other booksellers on her team with even more motivation to "provide the books that young people need."
Hannah Frisell, owner and CEO of Minervabokhandeln in Kristinehamn, Sweden, said there are elections coming up in September, and with "far-right parties growing in number," they were a concern. While her store is a generalist bookstore, it has a strong focus on queer narratives, and Frisell wondered what any electoral success for the right-wing might mean, not just in September but in the next few years. She asked: "Will people who already dislike us feel entitled to act out against us? Will there be more hate? Will we have to consider security?" She emphasized that the best things booksellers can do in response to these and many other challenges are "strengthening the local community" and the bookshop's role in it.
Kristine Pikenena, bookseller at Jānis Roze in Riga, Latvia, recalled visiting the U.S. in 2023 and feeling "so lucky" to be from a "very democratic" society like Latvia, where there isn't censorship of or protests against particular books. She was relieved and felt like it was "not my problem"--until last September, when someone burned a children's book that featured a transgender character on her bookstore's doorstep. She added that the biggest existential threat to Latvia is "sharing a border with Russia," and the bookstore actually has an 72-hour emergency plan to follow in the event of a Russian invasion that will make use of Jānis Roze's "elaborate basement."
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Jorge Cabezas Montañana |
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"From the second day after the flood, when we had no electricity, no water, no food, and the town was in chaos, people told us we had to reopen," said Jorge Cabezas Montañana, co-owner of Somnis de Paper in Benetússer, Spain, during a keynote talk on RISE's first day.
In late October 2024, massive floods hit parts of Spain's Valencia region, leaving hundreds dead and devastating some 564 square kilometers (approximately 217 square miles). In Montañana's small town, the highest flood waters reached three meters (almost 10 feet) in height, and in his own shop, the water reached about 1.75 meters (5 1/2 feet).
The next day, the town looked like something from a post-apocalyptic series "like The Walking Dead or The Last of Us." In places, cars were "stacked up until the first floor" of buildings, and in the bookstore, there was 10-20 centimeters of mud on the floor. Most of what wasn't bolted down was swept away, and Montañana and his co-owner found things from other houses and buildings had washed into the bookstore, including nightstands, tables, and shoes.
In December, Somnis de Paper reopened in a temporary space in the Benetússer town hall. While selling books in the town hall, Montañana was trying to field a surge of online orders from people around Spain who wanted to help. There were more than a thousand online purchases in one month, and though the orders were placed by people with good intentions, there were soon e-mails asking why the books had not been delivered yet. "We spent a whole week explaining that cars couldn't enter the area until December," Montañana recalled.
As clean-up and reconstruction continued at Somnis de Paper's permanent location, Montañana also dealt with publishers, distributors, and insurance companies. In addition to the online orders, there were donations from individuals as well as companies and trade associations. There was public aid from local and national government, and support from a number of publishers and distributors, with some offering large discounts or not charging for books lost in the flood. He emphasized that even today, some issues remain unresolved with his insurance company and he doubts whether they will ever be resolved. He advised booksellers to read their policies "very closely."
On May 17, 2025, the bookstore reopened following a complete redesign. The opening was a success, including a party with hundreds of attendees, a DJ, live music, food, and drink.
Since then, Montañana said he has seen increased support for bookstores and other local businesses. "It's true that some have gone back to online or big stores, but many people have learned the importance of small businesses." --Alex Mutter