Programme
Sunday 23 March
9.00 - 9.45
Conference registration and welcome coffee
9.55 - 11.00
Welcome words and keynote speech
ALFA ROOM
(EG) Nadia Wassef - Bookseller and author of Shelf Life: Chronicles of a Cairo Bookseller
11.10 - 11.55
Panel
ALFA ROOM
Happy booksellers, happy life: building a team
Ursula Zangger
Orell Füssli (CH)
Orell Füssli (CH)
Anaïs Combeau
Lilosimages (FR)
Lilosimages (FR)
Cole Davidson
The Spaniel’s Tale (CA)
Moderated by:
The Spaniel’s Tale (CA)
Moderated by:
Iris Hunscheid
Buchhandlung Hoffmann (DE)
Buchhandlung Hoffmann (DE)
Presentation
BETA 1 ROOM
Book market policies overview by EIBF
Julie Belgrado
EIBF Director (BE)
EIBF Director (BE)
Workshop
BETA 2 ROOM
Building a strong online brand for your bookshop
Anja Ivić
Communications consultant (NL)
Communications consultant (NL)
Panel
GAMMA ROOM
Can bookshops boost literacy rates?
Emmi Jäkkö
Lukukeskus – Läscentrum - The Finnish Reading Center (FI)
Lukukeskus – Läscentrum - The Finnish Reading Center (FI)
Maria Backlund
Bokusgruppen (SE)
Sarah Natusch
Buchhandlung Hoffmann (DE)
Buchhandlung Hoffmann (DE)
Moderated by:
Kristina Kramer
Börsenverein (DE)
Börsenverein (DE)
12.10 - 13.15
Lunch
13.15 - 14.00
Ignite talk session
ALFA ROOM
Innovative ideas in the bookshop
Melissa Taylor
E. Shaver, Bookseller (US)
E. Shaver, Bookseller (US)
Nadine Paagman
Paagman Boekhandels (NL)
Paagman Boekhandels (NL)
Thomas Barbier
De Reyghere Boekhandel (BE)
Zuzana Pršová
Martinus (SK)
Béatrice Madrid
Librairie Le Divan (FR)
Orane Bosom
Les Mots Retrouvés (FR)
Moderated by:
Les Mots Retrouvés (FR)
Moderated by:
Julie Belgrado
EIBF Director (BE)
EIBF Director (BE)
Presentation
BETA 1 ROOM
The Latvian Book market:
Facts, figures and marketing
Renāte Punka
Jānis Roze (LV)
Ildze Jansone
Latvian Literature Platform (LV)
Latvian Literature Platform (LV)
Workshop
BETA 2 ROOM
Fostering mental wellbeing in your shop
Ilze Medne
Integral Professional Leadership Coach (LV)
Integral Professional Leadership Coach (LV)
Panel
GAMMA ROOM
Training the booksellers of tomorrow
Judith Hoffman
MediaCampus (DE)
MediaCampus (DE)
Michael Finucane
Chapters Bookshop (IE)
Cecilie Brun Løwe
Norwegian Bookselling School (NO)
Norwegian Bookselling School (NO)
Moderated by:
Nina Stavisky
ALIRE (FR)
ALIRE (FR)
14.10 - 14.55
Afternoon keynote
ALFA ROOM
(UA) Oleksii Erinchak - Entrepreneur and bookseller.
Founder of Sens (Сенс) bookstore and Hitica mobile game studio
Interviewed by (RO) Raluca Selejan, bookseller at La Două Bufniţe
14.55 - 15.20
Coffee break
Sponsored by Libro.fm
15.30 - 16.15
Panel
ALFA ROOM
Hybrid bookselling:
managing online and offline
Tomás Kenny
Kennys bookshop (IE)
Kennys bookshop (IE)
Karin Lundwall
SF Bokhandeln (SE)
SF Bokhandeln (SE)
Melissa Taylor
E.Shaver, Bookseller (US)
Moderated by:
E.Shaver, Bookseller (US)
Moderated by:
Jan Peter Prenger
Libris.nl (NL)
Libris.nl (NL)
Panel
BETA 1 ROOM
Bookshops without borders: catering to neurodivergent readers
Veronika Micháliková
Prímerie (SK)
Prímerie (SK)
Elizabeth Tye
Next Page Books (UK)
Next Page Books (UK)
Sante Bandirali
uovonero (IT)
Moderated by:
uovonero (IT)
Moderated by:
Meryl Halls
Booksellers Association (UK)
Booksellers Association (UK)
Workshop
BETA 2 ROOM
Window displays and shop design
Paul Dotey
TYPE Books (CA)
Tatiana Kendralová
Martinus (SK)
Martinus (SK)
Panel
GAMMA ROOM
Book subscriptions and
loyalty programmes
Michael Weibler
Books@Stones (AU)
Books@Stones (AU)
Cole Davidson
The Spaniel’s Tale (CA)
The Spaniel’s Tale (CA)
Fabian Paagman
Paagman Boekhandels,
EIBF President (NL)
Moderated by:
Paagman Boekhandels,
EIBF President (NL)
Moderated by:
Maria Hamrefors
Svenska Bokhandlareföreningen (SE)
Svenska Bokhandlareföreningen (SE)
16.25 - 17.15
End of the day keynote
ALFA ROOM
Booklovers, Unite!
How a Not-for-Profit and a Business Support Each Other
and Plant the Joy of Reading Across the Country
(SK) Viktória Marcinová - Literacy promotion at Krajina čitateľov and Martinus
18.30 - 19.30
Drink reception
Sponsored by Ingram
19.30
Dinner
Sponsored by Gardners
Monday 24 March
9.00 - 9.30
Coffee break
09.30 - 10.20
Special address
ALFA ROOM
(LV) Agnese Lāce - Minister for Culture of the Republic of Latvia
Keynote speech
ALFA ROOM
The Happy Bookseller: The Science Behind Bookselling and Happiness
(NL) Patrick van Hees - Author of De Geluksprofessor ('The Happiness Professor')
10.30 - 11.15
Panel
ALFA ROOM
Innovative ideas for bookshop longevity
Mónica Cabello
CEGAL (ES)
CEGAL (ES)
Cian Byrne
The Maynooth bookshop (IE)
The Maynooth bookshop (IE)
Michal Šalaga
Ferove Knihy (SK)
Moderated by:
Ferove Knihy (SK)
Moderated by:
Willemien Wagner
Wagner Sassenheim (NL)
Wagner Sassenheim (NL)
Panel
BETA 1 ROOM
Non-book products for small stores: developing your own merchandising
Ramunda Young
Mahogany Books (US)
Mahogany Books (US)
Reetta Rönn
Karhun kirja & paperi (FI)
Karhun kirja & paperi (FI)
Inga Pizāne
Jānis Roze (LV)
Moderated by:
Jānis Roze (LV)
Moderated by:
Maria Hamrefors
Svenska Bokhandlareföreningen (SE)
Svenska Bokhandlareföreningen (SE)
Workshop
BETA 2 ROOM
Building a strong online brand for your bookshop
Anja Ivić
Communications consultant (NL)
Communications consultant (NL)
Panel
GAMMA ROOM
New Adult Fiction and the BookTok Revolution
Sarah Natusch
Buchhandlung Hoffmann (DE)
Buchhandlung Hoffmann (DE)
Andrada Dumitru
Cărturești (RO)
Cărturești (RO)
Julia van Steijn
Omni (LI)
Moderated by:
Omni (LI)
Moderated by:
Nina Stavisky
ALIRE (FR)
ALIRE (FR)
11.20 - 11.40
Coffee break
11.50 - 12.35
Panel
ALFA ROOM
AI and the book trade: changes ahead?
Diana Fröhlich
Dussmann (DE)
Dussmann (DE)
Béatrice Madrid
Librairie Le Divan (FR)
Librairie Le Divan (FR)
Tom Owen
Gay on Wye (UK)
Moderated by:
Gay on Wye (UK)
Moderated by:
Sanne Muijser
Koninklijke Boekverkopersbond - KBb (NL)
Panel
BETA 1 ROOM
Working with indie publishers
Veronika Benešová Hudečková
Amanak (CZ)
Amanak (CZ)
Anna Nicolau
Llibreria 22 (ES)
Llibreria 22 (ES)
Oana Doboşi
La Două Bufnițe (RO)
Moderated by:
La Două Bufnițe (RO)
Moderated by:
Rosa Azevedo
Livraria Snob (PT)
Livraria Snob (PT)
Workshop
BETA 2 ROOM
Fostering mental wellbeing in your shop
Ilze Medne
Integral Professional Leadership Coach (LV)
Integral Professional Leadership Coach (LV)
Panel
GAMMA ROOM
Events 101: how to start organising your events
Åshild Vere Jacobsen
Kulturbokhandelen Norli Farsund (NO)
Kulturbokhandelen Norli Farsund (NO)
Christoph Hänni
Schweizer Buchhandels- und Verlags- Verband (CH)
Schweizer Buchhandels- und Verlags- Verband (CH)
Ilaria Milana
Libraria Via Piave (IT)
Moderated by:
Libraria Via Piave (IT)
Moderated by:
Sheila O'Reilly
Bookselling Ireland (IE)
Bookselling Ireland (IE)
12.45 - 13.55
Lunch
13.55 - 14.40
Panel
ALFA ROOM
Books and bookshops for democracy
Ramunda Young
Mahogany Books (US)
Mahogany Books (US)
Fleur Sinclair
Sevenoaks Bookshop (UK)
Sevenoaks Bookshop (UK)
Jan Smedh
The English Bookshop (SE)
Moderated by:
The English Bookshop (SE)
Moderated by:
Jessica Sänger
Börsenverein (DE)
Presentation
BETA 1 ROOM
Creative Europe: book sector projects
in Latvia
Anastasija Konkina
Creative Europe Desk Latvia (LV)
Renāte Punka
Jānis Roze (LV)
Alīse Nīgale, Kristīne Jonuša
Liels un Mazs (LV)
Liels un Mazs (LV)
Workshop
BETA 2 ROOM
Window displays and shop design
Paul Dotey
TYPE Books (CA)
Tatiana Kendralová
Martinus (SK)
Martinus (SK)
Panel
GAMMA ROOM
Bookshops beyond the city
Christoffer Palmer
Höganäs Bokhandel (SE)
Höganäs Bokhandel (SE)
Rosamund de la Hey
Mainstreet Trading Company (UK)
Mainstreet Trading Company (UK)
Mafalda Milhões
O Bichinho de Conto (PT)
Moderated by:
O Bichinho de Conto (PT)
Moderated by:
Lorenzo Dall’Omo
EIBF (BE)
14.50 - 15.30
Closing keynote
ALFA ROOM
Log Off and Read. Digitalization and long-form reading
(NO) Kari Spjeldnæs - Associate Professor and Head of department - Kristiania University College
15.30 - 15.40
Closing words and unveiling the 2026 conference location
15.40
Closing drinks
*Panel session titles and timeslots may be subject to changes
Conference Speakers
KEYNOTE SPEAKERS & SPECIAL GUESTS
Kari Spjeldnæs
Kari Spjeldnæs is an Associate Professor and Head of Department at Kristiania University College. The influence of digitalization on long-form leisure reading is Spjeldnæs’ key focus in research. She has published several scientific articles on changes in reading habits and the consequences of digitalization on adult readers. Furthermore, Spjeldnæs has extended experience in the publishing industry, having worked more than 30 years in Norwegian trade publishing, 20 of them in leadership positions. She has also published a non-fiction narrative on reading pleasure (2020).
Nadia Wassef
In 2002, Nadia co-founded Diwan Bookstore. Over the last twenty-three years, it has grown into Egypt’s leading chain of bookstores, with ten branches and a publishing house.
Nadia holds three M.A. degrees. Her work as a bookseller and entrepreneur has been covered in the Washington Post, Time, and Monocle, among other publications. She received the 2022 Woman of The Year Award; she has also been on Forbes Magazine’s “200 Most Powerful Women in the Middle East” (2014-2016). And in 2011, Nadia received Veuve Clicquot’s Initiative for Economic Development.
Nadia is the author of 'Shelf Life: Chronicles of a Cairo Bookseller' (2021). It has been translated into 11 languages.
Nadia holds three M.A. degrees. Her work as a bookseller and entrepreneur has been covered in the Washington Post, Time, and Monocle, among other publications. She received the 2022 Woman of The Year Award; she has also been on Forbes Magazine’s “200 Most Powerful Women in the Middle East” (2014-2016). And in 2011, Nadia received Veuve Clicquot’s Initiative for Economic Development.
Nadia is the author of 'Shelf Life: Chronicles of a Cairo Bookseller' (2021). It has been translated into 11 languages.
Oleksii Erinchak
Ukrainian entrepreneur, founder of Sens (Сенс) bookstore and Hitica, a mobile game studio.
He believes that the Ukrainian culture must stand strong to resist the destructive influence of Russia.
Oleksii created meaningful spaces for the community by combining a bookstore, a café, and an event venue.
Patrick van Hees
Patrick, a Dutch author and consultant, captivates audiences with his humorous insights on happiness. His bestseller 'De Geluksprofessor' ('The Happiness Professor') shows how happiness transforms workplaces, employees, and businesses.
Viktória Marcinová
Viktória started working in the field of reading to children in 2014 and has been with Krajina čitateľov (NGO, Slovakia) since 2017. Her main efforts are aimed at expanding the reading ecosystem in which children grow (family, school, library), working with educators and librarians. Easy access to books is the key to developing love for reading, therefore the main project of Krajina čitatelov focuses on small classroom libraries, which teachers can start in their classrooms even without the support of the school administration.
©Gatis Rozenfelds
Agnese Lāce
Agnese Lāce is Minister for Culture of the Republic of Latvia. She holds a Master’s degree in Political Science, Master of Arts (MA) in International Migration and Social Cohesion, and she is PhD candidate in International Relations and Migration.
One of the main priorities of her work is to strengthen the Latvian language, including highlighting the diversity of Latvian culture and literature.
PANELISTS, WORKSHOP FACILITATORS & MODERATORS
Alīse Nīgale
Alīse Nīgale is the founding publisher and co-owner at Liels un Mazs, an award-winning children's book publishing house from Riga, Latvia. She brings 20 years of experience in publishing and reading promotion. She has served as a board member of the Latvian IBBY section, the State Culture Capital Foundation Literature Experts Committee member, and as director of the International Jānis Baltvilks Prize, Latvia's highest award for children's literature. Since 2020, she has been a Latvian Publishers' Association board member.
Anaïs Combeau
Anaïs Combeau began to work at Lilosimages in 2016 as a bookseller specialised in children's literature and B to B manager. In 2019, she became the co-owner of the bookshop. She is an active member of several French booksellers associations, to promote the added value of the independent bookshops in the book industry.
Anastasija Konkina
Anastasija Konkina is a Creative Europe Desk culture cluster coordinator in Latvia. She consults potential project applicants from Latvia about the Creative Europe funding opportunities and promotes the Programme through informative events and sessions. Creative Industries bachelor (Latvian Academy of Culture), Cultural Management MA (Latvian Academy of Culture) in progress.
Andrada Dumitru
Andrada Dumitru is a senior bookseller at Carturesti Carusel, considered one of the most beautiful bookshops in Europe, located in my beloved hometown, Bucharest. I deeply cherish art in its myriad forms. Graphic novels, comics, manga, music, boardgames, books and films are just some things I consume fervently and cannot live without.
As a bookseller, I champion diversity, making sure any customer can find a piece of themselves among the shelves: something they love, something they wish to learn and discover about themselves.
As a bookseller, I champion diversity, making sure any customer can find a piece of themselves among the shelves: something they love, something they wish to learn and discover about themselves.
Anja Ivić
Anja is a communications professional specialising in crafting and executing strategies that enhance brand reputation and drive engagement externally. Her professional experience includes working in the cultural sector, diplomacy and consulting companies active in various sectors. Her workshop will focus on equipping attendees with tangible tools and practices to build online presence for boosting sales and visibility. You can expect a motivating dialogue-based workshop and a lot of homework to get you started!
Anna Nicolau
Anna Nicolau is a bookseller at Llibreria 22, an independent bookstore in Girona, Catalonia. She studied Geography and Psychology, but her passion for books led her into the world of independent bookstores. She believes in the essential role of these spaces as cultural and community hubs and works to give visibility to authors and publishers outside the mainstream circuits. With years of experience in the sector, she actively participates in initiatives to strengthen the independent book industry and connect with new audiences.
Béatrice Madrid
Convinced that bookstores are places for encounters and discovery, since 2018 Béatrice Madrid has been supporting the communications of the 5 Gallimard bookstores in Paris, Delamain, Le Divan, Librairie Gallimard, Librairie de Paris and Librairie Compagnie. She develops tools to boost their visibility and reach wider audiences.
With a hands-on approach, she weaves links between cultural venues and their audiences (cinemas, theaters). She is a member of TMNlab, a network dedicated to digital practices in the cultural sector.
With a hands-on approach, she weaves links between cultural venues and their audiences (cinemas, theaters). She is a member of TMNlab, a network dedicated to digital practices in the cultural sector.
Cecilie Brun Løwe
Cecilie Brun Løwe has been the headmaster of The Norwegian School for Book Education since 2016.
Cecilie is educated in book/ culture business from the University in South Norway. She is born in a family of booksellers of a big and well-known bookstore business - Bruns Libris in Trondheim. Bruns Libris was converted to ARK Bokchain in 2000. She has been store manager and build up big chain bookstores in different bookstore-chains. LIBRIS, ARK and AKADEMIKA, and has also worked with marketing and sale at the Oslo-based publishers Aventura, and Cappelen Damm.
Cecilie is educated in book/ culture business from the University in South Norway. She is born in a family of booksellers of a big and well-known bookstore business - Bruns Libris in Trondheim. Bruns Libris was converted to ARK Bokchain in 2000. She has been store manager and build up big chain bookstores in different bookstore-chains. LIBRIS, ARK and AKADEMIKA, and has also worked with marketing and sale at the Oslo-based publishers Aventura, and Cappelen Damm.
Christoffer Palmer
Christoffer Palmer has worked in the book industry for almost 35 years. He started working for Akademibokhandeln in Stockholm in 1990. He later became store manager for their stores in Västerås and Malmö. In 2004, he bought his first store – Höganäs Bookstore. He now owns three stores, all in smaller towns in southern Sweden: in Höganäs, Båstad and Laholm. In addition to books, all the stores also have a wide range of stationery and office supplies as well as gift items.
Christoph Hänni
Christoph Hänni is working as Head of the Education Department at the Swiss Booksellers and Publishers Association since March 2024. Before that, he worked as co-branch manager of a bilingual (German/French) bookshop, where he was responsible for organising events, among other things.
Cian Byrne
Cian Byrne is a second-generation bookseller from Maynooth, Ireland. He joined his family business in 2017 after a redundancy from a big tech firm left him questioning his career trajectory. Since joining the company, he has led the expansion from the original two shops to now four. He was named as one of The Bookseller Magazine’s Rising Stars in 2024.
Cole Davidson
Cole is the co-owner of The Spaniel’s Tale Bookstore in Ottawa, Canada, a small general trade bookstore. He is also a member of the board of directors for the Canadian Independent Booksellers Association. Prior to opening the store in September 2022 with his husband, Cole worked in political communications for a variety of politicians at the provincial and federal levels, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. He earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from Nipissing University.
Diana Fröhlich
Diana Fröhlich was born in Berlin, Germany and studied photography and cultural studies before her training as a bookseller at Dussmann in 2008. From 2012, she worked in Dussmann’s English Bookshop as a buyer for various product ranges. In 2020, in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic, she became floor manager of the English Bookshop. In 2022, she took over two more floors and the deputy sales manager position.
Elizabeth Tye
Liz co-owns Next Page Books, an independent children’s bookshop just north of London, with a specialism in Neurodiversity. Liz, along with her good friend and co-owner Julie Anderson, opened their shop in September 2021. Liz has a background in teaching - she is a qualified primary teacher and Special Educational Needs Coordinator and a passion for supporting neurodiversity through books. Next Page Books is an inclusive space where neurodivergent families feel welcomed and supported.
Emmi Jäkkö
Emmi Jäkkö is a dedicated literacy advocate. She holds a Master of Arts in Art History and Comprehensive Literature from Helsinki University and a Further Vocational Qualification in Organizational Leadership.
As the Executive Director of the Finnish Reading Center, Emmi leads initiatives aimed at promoting reading and literacy across Finland. The Finnish Reading Center is a renowned NGO partly supported by the Ministry of Education and Culture, committed to enhancing literacy through awareness raising, advocacy, and collaboration with national and international networks.
Fabian Paagman
Fabian Paagman (48) has been involved in the European and International Booksellers Federation (EIBF) since 2012, currently in the position of President. He is the Managing Director of Paagman bookstores in The Netherlands: a group of five bookstores in the region of The Hague. Together with his sister, he forms the third generation of owners of this family-business that was founded over 70 years ago. Together with his wife and two children, he lives and works in The Hague, The Netherlands.
Fleur Sinclair
Fleur Sinclair is the owner of the award-winning Sevenoaks Bookshop in Kent, England. She is currently President of the Booksellers Association of the UK and Ireland and sits on the UK board of Bookshop.org.
She has been on judging panels for the Costa Prize, The Bookseller Industry Awards, Books Are My Bag Readers Awards, Merky New Writers Prize, the Macmillan Illustration Prize and is judging fiction entries for the 2025 Trinidad-based BOCAS Lit Fest. Before bookselling, Fleur trained in photography and worked in the fashion industry as a photographer’s agent.
She has been on judging panels for the Costa Prize, The Bookseller Industry Awards, Books Are My Bag Readers Awards, Merky New Writers Prize, the Macmillan Illustration Prize and is judging fiction entries for the 2025 Trinidad-based BOCAS Lit Fest. Before bookselling, Fleur trained in photography and worked in the fashion industry as a photographer’s agent.
Ilaria Milana
After working for ten years in a company as a work psychologist, in 2000 I decided to give new meaning to my life by opening a bookstore in Rome: Libreria Piave
Over the last 25 years, I have been a bookseller, an entrepreneur, a trainer, an event organizer, a coach, a team facilitator, and a business designer. Today, I represent Rome’s booksellers as President of ALI (Italian Booksellers' Association) Rome, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as Vice President of Confcommercio Rome, and Italian booksellers as Vice President of ALI at national level.
Over the last 25 years, I have been a bookseller, an entrepreneur, a trainer, an event organizer, a coach, a team facilitator, and a business designer. Today, I represent Rome’s booksellers as President of ALI (Italian Booksellers' Association) Rome, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) as Vice President of Confcommercio Rome, and Italian booksellers as Vice President of ALI at national level.
Ildze Jansone
Ildze Jansone has been working in cultural and public diplomacy for the past 11 years. Her career in the field began in London at the Latvian Embassy as the Coordinator of the Latvian Presidency of the Council of the EU, followed by a role as Cultural and Public Diplomacy Officer. Since 2017, she is representing platform Latvian Literature, promoting Latvian literature and authors abroad.
She works closely with international publishers, book fairs, media, and literary festivals, curating events with Latvian writers and organizing press and industry visits to Latvia.
She works closely with international publishers, book fairs, media, and literary festivals, curating events with Latvian writers and organizing press and industry visits to Latvia.
© Karlina Vitolina
Ilze Medne
Ilze Medne is a leadership and personal development expert, integral coach, and speaker specializing in psychological safety, emotional intelligence, and workplace well-being. With extensive experience in HR, coaching, and organizational leadership, she helps teams and leaders navigate change, foster resilience, and create healthier work environments. Ilze is the creator and host of the podcasts Kā tu jūties? and HR PODCAST, where she explores leadership, personal growth, and the evolving world of work. She is also a mentor for the youth community Dziļumspēks, supporting young leaders in developing self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and meaningful leadership skills.
Inga Pizāne
Inga Pizane is a Latvian poet and a social media manager for a bookseller Janis Roze. She is interviewing people about their reading preferences and rituals and also runs a small social media column/blog in which she embodies the soul and thoughts of the cat Rudis who lives in the bookseller's office to spread love for books and peace. Rudis is also a face of Janis Roze calendars that were both sold in bookstores and given to clients as souvenirs.
Iris Hunscheid
Iris Hunscheid (52) is working in the bookselling business since 2001, when she started as a trainee in an independent bookstore. She has been working in different independent and chain stores for a few years before she opened up her own bookstore in 2006 together with her husband, Buchhandlung Hoffmann in Achim. In 2014 they added a second store to their own little bookshop chain by taking over Buchhandlung Jost, a traditional independent bookshop in Bonn.
Jan Peter Prenger
Jan Peter Prenger works since 1993 in the bookbusiness. Since 2008 he is Head Buyer for Libris Blz., a cooperation of independent bookshops in the Netherlands with 240 members. He is also president of the Member’s Board of the KBb, the Royal Dutch Booksellers Associaton.
Jan Smedh
Jan Smedh is the co-founder and -owner of The English Bookshop in Uppsala, Stockholm and Gothenburg in Sweden. The original shop started in 1995 in Uppsala and won the Bookstore of the Year award at the London Bookfair in 2018. The idea has always been for the bookstores to be strongly grounded in their communities and to compete with quality, curation, service and events.
Jan Smedh is on the board of the Svenska Bokhandlareföreningen (Swedish Booksellers Association).
Jan Smedh is on the board of the Svenska Bokhandlareföreningen (Swedish Booksellers Association).
Jessica Sänger
Dr. Jessica Sänger is Director for European and International Affairs at Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels (German publishers and booksellers association). Ms. Sänger joined Börsenverein in 2008 where she was Deputy Head of the Legal Department from 2011. She studied Law at Exeter and Mainz, and trained for the bar in Mainz, from where she also received her Doctorate in law. Previous roles include a period as trainee case handler at the European Commission’s DG COMP (Media Unit) and management of an LL.M programme in Media Law.
Judith Hoffmann
Judith worked as an editor for international publishers such as Lürzer's Archiv and White Star Verlag before taking over as head of further education and marketing at Mediacampus Frankfurt 15 years ago. This is where the two subjects close to her heart - the book industry and education - come together. She supports companies in the qualification of their employees and in internal personnel development. As a moderator, she leads workshops, panel discussions and conferences.
Julia van Steijn
I was born 1999 in Liechtenstein. I grew from despising reading into an avid reader, because the right book connected with me.
When the time came to choose a career there was no question about it that I would become a bookseller. I've been working at our independent bookshop Omni since I was 16 with a quick one-year break to live abroad, where I worked at in a bookshop chain. From my love of diving into stories and characters developed my love for acting and I currently am a member of the Kreativ Akademie Improv Ensemble.
When the time came to choose a career there was no question about it that I would become a bookseller. I've been working at our independent bookshop Omni since I was 16 with a quick one-year break to live abroad, where I worked at in a bookshop chain. From my love of diving into stories and characters developed my love for acting and I currently am a member of the Kreativ Akademie Improv Ensemble.
Julie Belgrado
Julie Belgrado joined EIBF in 2016 as EU Affairs and Communications Officer and took over as Director in 2019. As EIBF Director, she represents the interests of booksellers on a global platform and makes sure that their voice be heard in debates that matter to them. Over the past years, she has upscaled the organisation activities by enlarging the team, diversifying the communication outreach and launching the RISE Bookselling project.
Karin Lundwall
Karin Lundwall first started working as a sales assistant in the Science Fiction Bookstore in the late 90s and would stay there for almost a decade, during which she also earned a master’s degree in literature. After 16 years at Bonnierförlagen, Sweden’s largest publishing group, she is now back at the mothership. SF-Bokhandeln – the Science Fiction Bookstore – is Sweden’s fifth largest bookstore, consisting of four physical stores, online shop and central warehouse.
Kristina Kramer
Kristina Kramer is Deputy Director for European and International Affairs at the German Booksellers and Publishers Association (Börsenverein des Deutschen Buchhandels). She joined Börsenverein’s team for the organisation of the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade in 2010. From 2012 on, she has been focussing her work on public affairs at the asscociation’s Berlin Office. Kristina set up and runs the Taskforce Barrierefreiheit (Accessibilty) within Börsenverein. She is member of the Consortia of the EU-funded projects under Creative Europe APACE and TEUk.
Kristīne Jonuša
Kristīne Jonuša is an experienced project-manager-in-publishing at the children's book publishing house Liels un Mazs, where she has overseen the production of original Latvian children's books and various international translations for over a decade. She specializes in managing small to medium-scale projects, including Creative Europe initiatives. She is a foreign rights manager, representing the company at international book fairs, securing partnerships, and coordinating collaborations with foreign publishers. With a background in nature education at the Natural History Museum of Latvia and training in London and Oxford, she's also a skilled communicator and professional nature guide.
Lorenzo Dall'Omo
Lorenzo Dall'Omo is the Policy Assistant at EIBF and is based in Brussels. He works on a range of issues: from advocating for fairer bookshop policies in the European Parliament and Commission to making sure European authors are translated through the European Union Prize for Literature. He loves reading and cinema and is a staunch advocate for everything Latin American and Southern European.
Mafalda Milhões
Mafalda Milhões, whose roots lie in the northeast of Portugal in Trás-os-Montes, is a voracious reader and a graduate in Graphic Arts from Tomar.
Mother to Matilde and Maria, her career is that of an all-round professional, multi award-winning illustrator, writer, bookseller, editor, reading mediator, and curator.
Mafalda founded O Bichinho de Conto —the first Portuguese bookstore specializing in children’s and youth literature— which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2022. Perched atop a hill in a former primary school, the bookstore is complemented by an eponymous publishing project managed under her direction.
Mother to Matilde and Maria, her career is that of an all-round professional, multi award-winning illustrator, writer, bookseller, editor, reading mediator, and curator.
Mafalda founded O Bichinho de Conto —the first Portuguese bookstore specializing in children’s and youth literature— which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2022. Perched atop a hill in a former primary school, the bookstore is complemented by an eponymous publishing project managed under her direction.
Maria Backlund
Maria Backlund is the Marketing Manager at Bokusgruppen, one of Sweden's leading book retailers, where she combines her passion for books with her expertise in digital and traditional marketing. With a deep understanding of customer behavior and a creative approach to brand strategy, Maria is dedicated to bringing Bokusgruppen’s vision to life and connecting readers with the stories they love while ensuring the company's position at the forefront of the Swedish book industry.
Maria Hamrefors
Maria Hamrefors was appointed chairwoman of the Swedish Booksellers Association in 2019 after a long career in the book industry. Previous positions include CEO of Akademibokhandeln, the leading bookselling chain in Sweden, CEO of Bokus, CEO of Norstedts Publishing Group, CEO of Thomson Corp in Sweden and director of Sweet & Maxwell Group in the UK. Nowadays, Maria Hamrefors is the chairman of the board of The Swedish Educational Broadcasting Company (part of public service), chairman of Vi Media and a board member of Axiell Media. She is also the treasurer of EIBF and a member of the EIBF executive committee.
Melissa Taylor
Melissa Taylor is a bookseller with over 20 years of industry experience. She is currently the co-owner of E. Shaver, Bookseller which was named Best Bookstore in the South by the readers of Southern Living and is also included in the book 150 Bookstores You Need to Visit Before You Die. She is the cohost of the podcast Pull Your Shelf Together and serves on the Binc Finance Committee. She lives in Savannah with her husband (a former bookseller) and their two rescue dogs.
Meryl Halls
Meryl Halls has been the Managing Director of the Booksellers Association since April 2018. Her career at the BA began with event and conference management. She later became Head of Membership Services, responsible for establishing programmes and campaigns, including the Independent Booksellers Forum, Independent Bookshop Week or the Books Are My Bag campaign. She is Vice Chair of the Independent Retailers Confederation, Policy Board Member of the British Retail Consortium, Executive Committee member of EIBF and a Trustee of World Book Day.
Michael Weibler
Michael was born and grew up in Brisbane, Australia and after finishing school had a 20 year career as an army engineer and a further 14 years with a large engineering company. Following this, Karen and Michael decided to expand Karen’s niche textbook business, which she had owned for 9 years, into a more general bookshop which they have now operated for 13 years.
Michal Šalaga
Born in 1979 in the Slovakian town of Krupina, Michal achieved a PhD in theology with a thesis on Theological Emphases of Funeral Sermons. He has work experience in seed processing, plastic injection moulding, hop collection and processing, inflight catering and retail, cemetery operations, running a funeral service, and serving as president of the local church congregation.
Since taking over a 26-year-old bookstore in May 2024, he has been a full-time member of Ferove knihy, the only bookselling team in the entire Krupina district. He is a father of two children, one of whom is neurotypical.
Since taking over a 26-year-old bookstore in May 2024, he has been a full-time member of Ferove knihy, the only bookselling team in the entire Krupina district. He is a father of two children, one of whom is neurotypical.
Michael Finucane
Michael Finucane, born into a family of retailers, began his career in advertising in London before returning to Dublin at 24 to start a video games business with his best friend, Kevin Neary. Operating from a 50-square-metre space at the back of Chapters Bookstore, the venture grew into 11 standalone stores, acquired by GameStop in 2003.
After successfully exiting GameStop at 43, consulting without control didn’t suit Michael. In 2022, he and Kevin purchased Chapters from their mentor, William Kinsella and three years later, the iconic Parnell Street store thrives once again.
After successfully exiting GameStop at 43, consulting without control didn’t suit Michael. In 2022, he and Kevin purchased Chapters from their mentor, William Kinsella and three years later, the iconic Parnell Street store thrives once again.
Mónica Cabello
After years working in financial departments, in banking and in the third sector, in 2021 Mónica joined CEGAL (Spanish Confederation of Guilds and Associations of Bookstores) as an Area Manager. Her work consists, fundamentally, in the coordination of some of CEGAL's cultural events, such as the Bookstore Congress; the Cultural Bookstore Award; or the TodosTusLibros Awards.
Besides that, she is also in charge of other tasks related to CEGAL's internal management: accounting, invoicing and member services.
Besides that, she is also in charge of other tasks related to CEGAL's internal management: accounting, invoicing and member services.
Nadine Paagman
Nadine Paagman, 43 years old, born and raised in The Hague, The Netherlands.
I am married, a proud mother of two, and we share our home with a cat and dog.
After high school, I started working in our family business, Paagman.
What began as helping out in the company grew into a deep passion for entrepreneurship.
Together with my brother; Fabian, we took over the business from our father and we continue to build its future.
With strong family values and a love for books and retail, I am committed to growing Paagman every day.
I am married, a proud mother of two, and we share our home with a cat and dog.
After high school, I started working in our family business, Paagman.
What began as helping out in the company grew into a deep passion for entrepreneurship.
Together with my brother; Fabian, we took over the business from our father and we continue to build its future.
With strong family values and a love for books and retail, I am committed to growing Paagman every day.
Nina Stavisky
Nina Stavisky was originally a bookseller, although she has not worked in a shop for the last fifteen years. She has specialised in computerised stock management by working for several IT service providers, for the Syndicat de la librairie française and now for ALIRE, of which she is the General Delegate. ALIRE brings together French-speaking booksellers who share the same objective: to develop the use of efficient IT tools, supplied with reliable, up-to-date information at controlled costs.
Oana Doboși
Graduate of the Faculty of Letters from Timișoara, UVT, on French-Romanian language and literature. She has a master's degree in Publishing Policies at the Université Paris XIII. With over 10 years of experience in cultural and publishing management, she is, since, 2016, the co-founder and managing partner of the independent bookshop La Două Bufnițe (AT Two Owls). She was the editorial coordinator of the exhibition's catalogues Victor Brauner: Inventions and magic and Brâncusi: Romanian sources and universal perspectives, published by the Art Encounters Foundation.
Orane Bosom
Orane Bosom is a French bookseller, specialising in Anglophone literature. Her graduation in 2018 with a master's degree in computer science equipped her with technical skills that set her apart from typical booksellers. After training at a prestigious bookshop in Île-de-France and managing the American Bookshop in Paris from 2021 to 2023, she now can be found at Les Mots Retrouvés, in the Parisian suburbs. Her expertise bridges technology and literature, allowing her to bring a sophisticated approach to bookselling. Outside of work, Orane enjoys cats, Star Trek, and coffee shops.
Paul Dotey
Paul Dotey is an illustrator and designer. His window installations can be found at Type Books in Toronto and at this year’s DesignTO Festival where he presented ‘On This Spot’. He has worked in publishing since 2002 as a Designer and Typesetter for Scholastic Canada, Penguin Random House Canada, and with national and local magazines. His illustration work explores cartography and civics through storytelling, with clients such as Starbucks, Kraft Foods Canada, The Globe & Mail, Spacing Magazine and The Wall Street Journal; he lives in Toronto.
Raluca Selejan
Raluca Selejan studied Romanian and English Language and Literature at West University of Timișoara. She has an MA in Cultural Management with a diploma on Art & Literature in Unconventional Spaces. Since 2016, she is co-owning and co-managing an independent bookshop in Timișoara, La Două Bufnițe (At Two Owls). With over 10 years of experience in branding, communication and organizing of cultural events, she is passionate about books and reading - that is being an Owl by profession.
Ramunda Lark Young
Ramunda Young is an entrepreneur, community builder, and owner of MahoganyBooks, a nationally recognized bookstore specializing in books by and about the African diaspora that she co-founded with her husband Derrick Young. She is passionate about amplifying Black voices and fostering a love of reading and cultural awareness. As a business leader, Ramunda has grown MahoganyBooks into an essential space for dialogue, education, and activism, while creating platforms for authors and readers to connect deeply with African American literature.
Reetta Rönn
I am a bookseller and author from Finland. I run a bookstore in the small coastal town of Raahe. I’m an animal lover, and that’s why the name of my bookstore is connected to an animal – it’s called Karhun Kirja & Paperi Oy (The Bear’s Book & Paper Ltd.). In addition to books, my store also offers high-quality paper and art products. This year, my store will turn four, and my debut novel was published last year. So, the past few years of my life have been filled with books.
Renate Punka
Renate Punka is president of Latvian Publishers Association (LGA) and treasurer of Federation of European Publishers (FEP). But first and foremost she is the managing director of Janis Roze Publishers – one of the oldest and most respectable publishing houses in Latvia (established in 1914) and well-recognised translator from English and Russian. She is MAs in Latvian language and litarature and in written translation and has studied business administration in Riga Business School. She has worked also as literary critic, journalist, marketing manager, for several years had been a host of radio programms.
Rosa Azevedo
Rosa Azevedo has a degree in Portuguese and French Literature and a master's degree in Text Editing. Since 2007, she has been teaching several Portuguese literature courses, in addition to other production work related to literature, particularly in the areas of surrealism, independent publishing and women writers of the Portuguese 20th century. She has a bookshop in Lisbon, Livraria Snob, that is, as well, an independent publishing house.
Rosamund de la Hey
Rosamund was formerly children’s marketing director at Bloomsbury Publishing where she worked from 1994-2007.
Along with her husband, Bill, she opened The Mainstreet Trading Company in June 2008 in the rural Scottish Borders. Originally a bookshop & café, Mainstreet expanded in 2012 to create a deli and homeware department. Mainstreet has won various awards over the years, including Britain’s Best Small Shop.
Rosamund was a member of the Booksellers Association Council 2011-2018 and served as President 2016-2018.
Along with her husband, Bill, she opened The Mainstreet Trading Company in June 2008 in the rural Scottish Borders. Originally a bookshop & café, Mainstreet expanded in 2012 to create a deli and homeware department. Mainstreet has won various awards over the years, including Britain’s Best Small Shop.
Rosamund was a member of the Booksellers Association Council 2011-2018 and served as President 2016-2018.
Sanne Muijser
Since October 2023, I have been a director of the Royal Booksellers Association and Boekenbon NV (book vouchers). Before joining KBb, I worked for 10 years as a director of the industry association for land-based gambling providers (gaming machines). In that capacity, I often had to deal with issues such as workplace safety and customer aggression. I am delighted to represent booksellers in the Netherlands, but also in Europe, and I hope I can contribute to strengthening this wonderful industry.
Sante Bandirali
Sante Bandirali is an Italian publisher, translator and author.
He is co-founder and editor-in-chief of the publishing companies Uovonero (2010) and Officina Babùk (2023), both specialized in accessible and inclusive children’s books.
He has translated more than 40 novels from French and English to Italian. His translations won several awards; he has won twice the children’s Premio Strega award for the translation, in 2020 and 2024.
As an author, he has written a novel (“Papiro”, published by Marcos y Marcos in 2024) and some picture books.
He is co-founder and editor-in-chief of the publishing companies Uovonero (2010) and Officina Babùk (2023), both specialized in accessible and inclusive children’s books.
He has translated more than 40 novels from French and English to Italian. His translations won several awards; he has won twice the children’s Premio Strega award for the translation, in 2020 and 2024.
As an author, he has written a novel (“Papiro”, published by Marcos y Marcos in 2024) and some picture books.
Sarah Natusch
Sarah Natusch has worked at the bookshop „Buchhandlung Hoffmann“ in Eutin for ten years. There she is not only responsible for the children's and youth, manga, fantasy, new adult, and queer literature sections, but also the store's social media channels (Instagram, TikTok, Facebook). In 2024 she accepted the TikTok Book Award in the category "Best Indie Bookshop" on behalf of Buchhandlung Hoffmann at the Frankfurt Book Fair. Sarah Natusch is also a blogger, author and podcaster for queer literature and has given lectures on the topic.
Sheila O'Reilly
Sheila’s career in the book industry began in 1983 in publishing working for Harcourt Brace. In 1993, she started an internet bookshop before buying a high street bookshop in South London. She owned Dulwich Books in South London for 12 years. In May 2014, the book industry voted it the best bookshop in the UK and Ireland.
A former Bookseller Association Council member, Sheila is now the Project Manager for the BA Learning Skills Hub. She sits on the Bookselling Ireland committee. She is a board member of EIBF and she also mentors bookshops for the Booksellers Association.
A former Bookseller Association Council member, Sheila is now the Project Manager for the BA Learning Skills Hub. She sits on the Bookselling Ireland committee. She is a board member of EIBF and she also mentors bookshops for the Booksellers Association.
Tatiana Kendralová
Tatiana is a regional manager for Martinus, the largest online bookseller in Slovakia with 19 brick-and-mortar bookstores in Slovakia and one in Czechia. Her role is to ensure that every visitor to the stores enjoys an exceptional bookstore experience, support teamwork, and explore new ways to inspire people to read. She is also responsible for setting up processes and optimizing them so that booksellers can do what they enjoy most: talking to customers about books and reading.
© Femke den Hollander
Thomas Barbier
Thomas Barbier is the fifth generation in a longstanding line of the family bookshop business at De Reyghere, located in the heart of Bruges (Belgium). He is very outspoken on reading culture and connecting people through books. It is something he inbedded deeply in the bookshop DNA and promotes in various ways. At the same time he advocates for booksellers to be treated as the experts they are in their field and dedicates his time – amongst a lot of different things - to establishing this role as a consultant with social and cultural organisations, schools, libraries and his daily customers.
© Billy Charity
Tom Owen
Tom Owen is the founder of Gay on Wye, an independent LGBTQIA+ bookshop in Hay-on-Wye launched in 2023. With a background in the arts, Tom champions queer literature, curating a space where LGBTQIA+ voices are celebrated. A passionate sci-fi reader, he believes in books’ power to transform and affirm identity. Through Gay on Wye, he fosters community, amplifies underrepresented voices, and ensures queer stories have a permanent place in literature. As an advocate for independent bookshops, Tom sees them as vital spaces for discovery beyond the constraints of mainstream retail.
Tomás Kenny
Tomás Kenny is a third generation bookseller and has worked in his family business full time for 23 years, but part time since he was 12. He works with all books - new, secondhand and rare, as well as author and publishers archives. He has published widely on Irelands War of Independence. He is the manager of Kennys Bookshop, celebrating its 85th year in business in 2025.
Ursula Zangger
Ursula Zangger, born 1960 in Switzerland, has been a full-heartet bookseller for almost all her life. For the last 20 years of her career she was the Manager of one of the biggest bookshops of Orell Füssli. Among a lot of other tasks she loved organizing readings and getting to know authors and publishers. But more so, the most important thing was, to establish, together with her team, a great place to be. And to make customers happy by recommending a lot of good books.
Veronika Benešová Hudečková
Veronika runs her own publishing house, Verzone, which has been publishing art publications, editions of Chinese modern literature, and children's books since 2010. In 2015, she founded the selective bookstore 2veverky in Prague focused on quality children's literature with an emphasis on the production of small publishers. She is one of the founders of the Association of Small Publishers and Booksellers, which strives to improve the position of the smallest entities on the book market.
Veronika Micháliková
Veronika Micháliková is the founder of the inclusive bookstore ~ prímerie bookshop. The name "Prímerie" translates to "Truce," symbolizing a space of peace, understanding, and connection.
Their bookstore curates literature that amplifies marginalized voices and fosters empathy, featuring books on neurodiversity, mental health, queer topics, Romani literature, feminist works, and children's stories addressing significant social issues. Beyond offering books, it serves as a community hub, hosting literary and cultural events and striving to ensure that diverse people feel seen, welcomed, and respected within their space.
Their bookstore curates literature that amplifies marginalized voices and fosters empathy, featuring books on neurodiversity, mental health, queer topics, Romani literature, feminist works, and children's stories addressing significant social issues. Beyond offering books, it serves as a community hub, hosting literary and cultural events and striving to ensure that diverse people feel seen, welcomed, and respected within their space.
Willemien Wagner
I am Willemien Wagner, I am from the Netherlands, married and mother of three beautiful daughters. Since 2010, owner of the Wagner bookstore in picturesque Sassenheim. I continued the store in 2010 after the death of my mother. Our store has existed since 1967, founded by my parents and always helped in the business as a child. We had several shops in the Bollenstreek. In 2015 I merged all stores and the focus is now on one. We are an active bookstore with a combination of books, office supplies, greeting cards and magazines. We organize many activities to bind our customers to us, but more importantly, to connect people with each other and authors.
Zuzana Pršova
Zuzana is the head of product department at Martinus - the largest online bookseller in Slovakia with 19 brick-and-mortar bookstores. She’s leading the team of book experts and buyers ensuring that Martinus bookstores carry the right books for the readers, focusing largely on understanding reader’s needs.
Åshild Vere Jacobsen
Åshild Vere Jacobsen, age 53, owner of Kulturbokhandelen in Farsund, a small town in the south of Norway. I started my bookshop in 2001 as an ordinary bookshop. During the years we have increased our focus on literary happenings; after fifteen years we took on a big investment in order to make the bookshop more practically fitted for events: We are still an ordinary bookshop during daytime, but can easily transform into a "cultural scene" focusing on literature in the evening.
Thank you to all the sponsors of the RISE Bookselling Conference
Keep your bookshop up to date
Sign up to our newsletter and we’ll keep you up to date with our upcoming events
Hey there, this is the default text for a new paragraph. Feel free to edit this paragraph by clicking on the yellow edit icon. After you are done just click on the yellow checkmark button on the top right. Have Fun!
RISE Bookselling is a network project organized by the European and International Booksellers Federation (EIBF) and co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union.
©RISEBookselling 2025. Privacy Policy