Dancing on the edge of the world

With 170 exhibitors and a schedule of 209 events featuring 500 guests, this public-facing fair aims to showcase all segments of Italian independent publishing, including comics, young adult literature and books about sports.

Organized under the patronage of the Municipality of Milan, this year marks the first time the literary event is part of the Salone Internazionale del Libro di Torino projects.

"Book Pride is one of the ways the Salone del Libro aims to support small and medium-sized publishers, contributing to a broader dialogue in a sector currently facing challenges," commented Silvio Viale, President of the Salone del Libro. "We feel a great energy surrounding this event, and I would like to thank all the publishing houses that have reaffirmed their presence, as well as those who are joining us for the first time."

"Book Pride, the National Independent Publishing Fair, continues to play a vital role in promoting cultural pluralism and valuing free and innovative voices year after year," said Tommaso Sacchi, Councilor for Culture.

The theme for the 2025 edition, inspired by Ursula K. Le Guin's work, is Dancing on the Edge of the World.

“In a world marked by wars, violence, and abuse, the act of dancing seems difficult to envision. Yet, we need this grace and the bold pursuit of balance now more than ever. We will explore this theme during the three days of Book Pride, alongside hundreds of guests, in an effort to reshape a kinder, more sustainable reality, starting from personal connections, attention to marginalized issues, and care for our planet,” said curators Marco Amerighi, Francesca Mancini, and Laura Pezzino.

International guests at Book Pride include Viet Thanh Nguyen, Phoebe Hadjimarkos Clarke, Mathias Énard, Michel Jean, Zsuzsa Selyem, Núria Bendicho Giró, Nouri Al-Jarrah, Tristan Gooley, Marin Ledun, Fatma Aydemir, and Alice Robb.

Among the many exciting initiatives presented at the fair, the first Book Pride Catalog will be launched during the Milan event. Book Pride has collaborated with the Italian Cultural Institutes in Osaka, London, and Bucharest to promote independent Italian publishing worldwide. This project supports the translation of twenty titles in the three countries. The books—spanning fiction, non-fiction, and comics—will be selected by the fair's editorial team from the catalogues of independent Italian publishers. The Book Pride Catalog will be presented at the London Book Fair and later this year at the Turin International Book Fair.