By Carlo Carrenho, Contributing Editor
Among the news this week: a new report finds Dutch singles see books and reading as attractive; German retailer Thalia’s partnership program adds a new bookstore in Austria; the return of the Damascus International Book Fair; and a questionable act by a Brazilian retailer raises censorship concerns.Swipe Right, Read Heavy
This just in time for Valentine’s Day: Books are not only good for reading—they’re also good for flirting. Citing research from the Study on the Attractiveness of Reading (conducted by CPNB), David Huijzer for InCT, reports that reading has become a measurable dating asset among young adults in the Netherlands.
There’s an old joke about taking a thick Dostoevsky novel to the gym to impress potential dates. According to this research, that tactic might not be so far-fetched. From carefully framed bookshelves to visible books in dating profiles, “performative reading” has apparently become an effective courtship strategy among Dutch youngsters. A survey of respondents (aged 18–35) found that book readers are likely to be perceived as smart (50%), more interesting and attractive (45%), and some 60% said they see reading as a sign of intelligence, Huijzer notes.
If the subject of this report appears a little frivolous, it’s strangely comforting that (at least in the Netherlands) books still carry such cultural weight. If reading and owning books—or even curating the right bookshelf—can be as important as a good smile in this era of swiping and scrolling, that to me feels like a small but meaningful victory.
If You Can’t Beat Thalia, Join Them
Börsenblatt reports that Thalia is launching its partner bookstore model in Austria, with Mürzzuschlag-based bookstore Kerbiser becoming the first independent to join. Under the deal, Kerbiser, run by third-generation owner Nina Stastny, will retain its name and independence while gaining access to Thalia’s infrastructure. In a release, Stastny said the partnership will allow her to offload some back-office tasks and focus more on customer service and reading promotion.
Under the Thalia partnership model, bookstores remain legally independent while Thalia purchases their entire existing inventory at the start of the cooperation. All sales are then made in Thalia’s name, with the bookstore receiving a monthly commission based on the gross margin generated by its location. That income is used to cover operating costs such as rent and staff, while partners benefit from improved purchasing terms, simplified accounting, and access to enterprise-level IT and omnichannel services. The model appears to be working well in the DACH region (Germany, Austria, and Switzerland) and could realistically be extended to other markets. Thalia’s overall share of the Austrian book retail market is estimated at between 30% to 40%
From Audiobooks to Printed Books: Will Anyone Click?
As reported in Publishing Perspectives
, Spotify has announced a partnership with Bookshop.org that will enable users in the U.S. and U.K. to purchase physical books directly through the Spotify app. Starting this spring, the collaboration will link Spotify’s audiobook discovery environment with Bookshop.org’s print-book marketplace, directing proceeds to independent booksellers via its established revenue-sharing model.
The partnership is being welcomed as a creative way to support independent booksellers, and there is a lot of good will for Bookshop.org’s continued growth. At the same time, there is some skepticism about how meaningful the sales volumes from this program can be, given that the audiobook and print markets tend to attract different consumer behaviors, with limited overlap so far. While some listeners may choose to buy a print copy—perhaps as a gift—many audiobook users are unlikely to feel a need for a physical edition. It will be interesting to see conversion rates in the program’s early months (hopefully Spotify and Bookshop.org will choose to share this data). Regardless, the initiative, at the very least, is another, positive sign of support for the independent bookselling ecosystem.
A Neapolitan Coffee Tradition Finds a Korean Bookshelf
According to a report in ActuaLitté, Anne Bookshop in Cheongju, 130 km south of Seoul, has launched a prepaid gifting initiative aimed at teenagers. Introduced in February 2025 by bookseller Lee Ji-young, the “I’ll Buy You a Book” program invites adult customers to prepay for books that young people aged 14–19 can then choose freely. Early participation was cautious, with teens at first unsure the offer was genuine, but the initiative has since expanded to 15 independent bookstores across South Korea, including stores in Busan, Incheon, and Cheonan.
Inspired by the caffè sospeso tradition from Naples, this is an initiative that could—and arguably should—be replicated by many bookstores around the world. It’s a simple, generous model that makes books accessible to young readers while preserving their freedom of choice and sense of dignity. The question now is: are there any bookstores in Naples ready to extend the inspiration and start offering libri sospesi?
After Six Years, the Damascus International Book Fair Returns
Syria’s Damascus International Book Fair reopened on February 5 after a six-year hiatus, as outlined by Mark Williams at The New Publishing Standard. Held at Damascus Exhibition City, the fair will bring together more than 500 publishing houses from 35 countries. It will showcase more than 100,000 titles, with Qatar, the fair’s guest of honor, mounting a 400-square-meter pavilion featuring 1,200 titles and a program of seminars and workshops. In addition, ahead of the fair, Qatari distributor Dar Al-Sharq announced a deal to co-finance and pre-purchase print runs from three Damascus-based children’s publishers—the first such deal since 2010.
The return of the Damascus International Book Fair after years of war is an encouraging sign that the country is reestablishing major cultural events—and it is noteworthy that President Ahmad al-Sharaa attended the opening. In a week when international attention was focused on the Cairo International Book Fair and its enormous scale, with 6.3 million visitors, it is meaningful to see another Arab book fair coming back to life, and news like this brings hope at a moment when the world can truly use it.
Better Safe Than Bookish
According to a report by Mônica Bergamo in Folha de S.Paulo, Magazine Luiza, one of Brazil’s largest department store chains, has canceled a planned book launch, set for its flagship megastore in the former Avenida Paulista location of the bookseller Livraria Cultura, for Lula Lá e Outras Histórias, by Paulo de Tarso, citing a new group-wide policy not to host initiatives that could be interpreted as partisan during Brazil’s presidential election year. The author (who created the “Lula lá” campaign slogan for President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva) insists that the book is a memoir rather than a political work. And publisher Luiz Fernando Emediato said he was perplexed by the cancellation.
That a space that once housed one of Brazil’s most complete and admired bookstores is now home to a store that is excluding authors out of fear of perceived partisanship should be a wake-up call for the broader publishing ecosystem. Whether a book addresses a left-wing president like Lula or a right-wing figure such as Bolsonaro should be irrelevant in a mainstream, general bookstore. Limiting authors and ideas in this fashion is a hollow form of neutrality, and this move should be seen for what it is: another example of the alarming rise in censorship around the world.
What Else Caught My Eye
An Article. The New York Times’ “So Long to Cheap Books You Could Fit in Your Pocket,” by Elizabeth A. Harris, charts the quiet disappearance of the mass market paperback as readers move to digital and higher-priced print formats.
A Book. Artificial Intelligence and Creation: Issues and Practices is a free, bilingual (French–English) digital volume with several contributors, bringing together experts and practitioners from cultural industries to examine how AI is reshaping film, literature, music, and digital arts.
A Grant. The ©POLAND Translation Programme, has just opened for applications, supporting foreign publishers translating Polish literature through funding for translation, rights, and selected production costs.
An Event. MediaFest 2026, taking place in Prague from 5–8 May, brings together Christian publishers and writers to explore how faith, media, and storytelling can speak to Europe’s post-Christian society.
A Vrooom. ElevenLabs (valued last week at $11 billion—a pun, I’m sure, intended) joins the grid as an official partner of Audi Revolut F1 Team, securing brand placement on the cars of Formula 1’s newest entrant.
The writer of this column has never taken a Dostoevsky novel to the gym mainly because he’s never been to a gym. He has also not yet visited Naples, though when he finally goes, he fully intends to offer a caffè sospeso (or, at the very least, drink one). And he remains convinced that Avenida Paulista in his hometown São Paulo will never quite be the same without Livraria Cultura.