UPF-BSM hosts the 11th edition of Forum Edita, examining the state of the publishing industry and its prospects for the future

UPF Barcelona School of Management (UPF-BSM) has once again hosted Forum Edita, one of the leading international events focused on the book and publishing industry. This year’s edition brought together experts and professionals from around the world and paid tribute to Beatriz de Moura, founder of Tusquets Editores and one of the most influential figures in publishing in Spain and Latin America.

Forum Edita is led by Patrici Tixis, President of the Gremi d’Editors de Catalunya; Javier Aparicio Maydeu, Director and founder of UPF-BSM’s Master’s in Publishing; and journalist Sergio Vila-Sanjuán. The 11th edition concluded with a particularly optimistic outlook on the evolution of the Spanish publishing market.

According to experts participating in the event, the Spanish publishing market grew by 3.8% in 2025 and has recorded 3.9% growth through June 2026, alongside a 2.4% increase in units sold.

Forecasts indicate that 2026 will once again end with positive figures, with turnover expected to reach close to €1.3 billion and estimated growth of 4.5%. One of the most notable developments has been the particularly strong performance of Catalonia, which now accounts for 21.5% of the Spanish publishing market and has recorded year-on-year growth of 5.2%, placing it ahead of Madrid, which represents 21.1% of the national market.

Fiction maintains its leading position

By genre, fiction continues to be the main driver of the market, accounting for 35% of sales, followed by non-fiction at 28% and children’s and young adult literature at 26%.

The event also highlighted the growing importance of publishers’ back catalogues compared with new releases: 77% of sales currently come from backlist titles, compared with 23% from new releases.

The figures presented at this year’s Forum Edita therefore point to a scenario of sustained growth, consolidated recovery and new opportunities for the publishing industry, with Catalonia emerging as one of the main drivers of this positive trend.

The impact of artificial intelligence on publishing

Artificial intelligence also played a prominent role in this year’s programme, with the session “The Current State of AI: Opportunities and Trends”, delivered by Andrea Garcia, an expert in AI applied to creative processes and a professor at the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya.

The discussion continued with the session “Does AI Protect or Undermine Copyright?”, which highlighted the need to develop models capable of reconciling the advancement of artificial intelligence with the protection and fair remuneration of creators and rights holders.

Experts stressed that AI should not necessarily be viewed as a threat to copyright. Instead, the key challenge is to ensure that major technology companies respect intellectual property and creators’ rights.

Tribute to Beatriz de Moura

This year’s edition opened at the Saló de Cent of Barcelona City Hall with a tribute to Beatriz de Moura, founder of Tusquets Editores and one of the leading figures in publishing in Spain and Latin America, who died in Barcelona on 17 April.

The tribute featured a contribution from writer Luis Landero, as well as a roundtable discussion with three publishers who knew Beatriz de Moura closely and reflected on her career and legacy: Miguel Aguilar, from Penguin Random House; Juan Cerezo, from Tusquets Editores; and Anne-Marie Métailié, from Éditions Métailié.