At this year’s Frankfurt Book Fair 2025, publishing executives Chantal Restivo Alessi of HarperCollins International and Núria Cabutí of Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial (PRHGE) discussed how their companies are navigating the fast changing book landscape.
Cabutí explained that PRHGE’s expansion strategy over the past decade marked by seven acquisitions has helped the group capture nearly a quarter of the Spanish and Portuguese-language market. With a growing readership of around 600 million people, PRHGE is now focusing on boosting visibility for its catalog across multiple regions rather than pursuing more takeovers.
Restivo Alessi shared that HarperCollins continues to grow through selective acquisitions, including European publishers and manga operations. She said the company aims to diversify its content and reach new readers globally.
Both executives pointed to a surprising trend: the return of physical books among younger readers. Data from Spain’s publishing market shows steady double-digit growth, driven largely by readers aged 14 to 25. “People want a break from screens,” Restivo Alessi noted. “The physical book offers that calm.”
The conversation also touched on AI in publishing. HarperCollins has entered licensing deals that allow authors to opt in or out of AI training programs, while PRHGE is taking a more cautious approach, emphasizing copyright protection and sustainable partnerships.
Both publishers acknowledged the growing role of self-publishing platforms such as Wattpad, calling them valuable spaces for discovering new voices. PRHGE has already turned several Wattpad authors into bestsellers, while HarperCollins continues to use digital-first models to nurture emerging talent.
Cabutí and Restivo Alessi agreed that the backlist remains one of publishing’s greatest assets, particularly in the AI era, where rediscovery can breathe new life into older works. As Restivo Alessi put it, “We’re not just in the book business we’re in the storytelling business.”