By Carlo Carrenho, Contributing Editor
Among the week’s headlines: Audible breaks to the Netherlands; A French court rules against Amazon; Swedish libraries are buying fewer books; and Tonies continue to show remarkable growth.Audible Wants Dutch Ears
InCT reports that Audible has officially launched in the Netherlands, entering the Dutch audiobook and audio entertainment market with local subscriptions, Dutch-language content, and locally produced Audible Originals. The Amazon-owned platform is adding exclusive productions narrated by Dutch actors and voice actors, alongside its international catalog, and is using a localization strategy similar to its launches in Germany, France, and Spain. Audible will compete with Storytel, Kobo, and Spotify, offering a hybrid model that combines its credits system with access to a broader streaming catalog.
The move follows Audible’s signals at the London Book Fair that further international expansion was imminent. While Dutch consumers could already access Audible through the U.K. store, this launch introduces localized content, curation, and production tailored to the market. The Netherlands is becoming an increasingly competitive audio environment, with Spotify recently expanding further into the country, Storytel treating the market as one of its core territories, and public libraries continuing to play a major role in digital lending and audio access. Local players such as Fluister also remain active in the market, adding further competitive pressure.
A $1 Billion Japanese Giant Wanders Into Southeast Asia
Shinbunka reports that Japan’s KADOKAWA, one of the country’s “Big Three” publishers (alongside Shueisha and Kodansha) posted higher revenue and sharply lower profit for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2026. Revenue rose 1.8% to ¥282.908 billion ($1.8 billion), while operating profit fell 51.4% to ¥8.102 billion ($51.3 million). In Publishing and IP Creation, revenue increased 2.8% to ¥155.634 billion ($986.9 million) while operating profit declined 51.6% to ¥4.054 billion ($25.7 million). KADOKAWA said higher personnel costs and lower profits from print and digital publishing operations in Japan weighed significantly on earnings.
Separately, an interview published by KADOKAWA’s K-Insight platform outlined the company’s expanding publishing strategy in the region. KADOKAWA entered Malaysia in 2015 through the acquisition of children’s publisher GEMPAK STARZ, later expanding into Thailand and Indonesia, while also adding Thailand-based publisher First Page Pro in 2024. The company said Thailand has become one of its top five markets for translated publishing rights, prompting a shift toward direct local publishing, premium-format manga editions, and digital distribution through BookWalker Thailand. KADOKAWA also said its Malaysian studio operation now produces more than 400 titles annually, about half of them original works.
France Ends Amazon’s One-Cent Trick
Livres Hebdo reports that France’s Conseil d’État has rejected Amazon’s appeal against the minimum €3 ($3.51) delivery fee on online orders of new books under €35 ($41.0) when not collected in bookstores. Amazon called the ruling “disappointing” and said readers have paid “more than €100 million” ($117 million) since the fee’s introduction, while the court rejected the company’s arguments that the measure disproportionately affects lower-income consumers and people living far from bookstores.
The decision represents a significant victory for France’s independent booksellers and for the country’s fixed-price book policy, which many in the market consider central to protecting bibliodiversity. It also closes the loophole Amazon previously used by charging just one euro cent for delivery after free shipping was banned. At the same time, the case highlights the tension between protecting bookstores and preserving competitive conditions for readers. Another approach could be to help independent booksellers compete on more equal terms through subsidized programs or shared digital platforms similar to Bookshop.org, giving customers greater convenience and access while continuing to support smaller players.
Chitai-Gorod Sees Traffic Growth as Rebranding Begins to Deliver
According to Knizhnaya Industriya, Russian bookstore chain Chitai-Gorod recorded a 1.1% percent year-on-year increase in store traffic in April, its first growth after a prolonged decline. The chain also reported April gains in retail turnover, up 9.6% and book sales, up 13.3%. Chitai-Gorod attributed part of the improvement to its rebranding and store updates, which it says are helping bring some customers back.
As Russia’s largest bookstore chain and one closely connected to the Eksmo-AST publishing group, Chitai-Gorod is often seen as a useful indicator of broader market conditions, and the recent traffic growth suggests that the chain’s rebranding efforts may already be producing results. The figures also point to the resilience of the Russian publishing market despite tighter regulations measures that have forced publishers to review, redact, or remove parts of their catalogs from sale.
In Swedish Libraries: Same Readers, Fewer Books
Boktugg reports that Swedish public libraries continue reducing purchases of books and other media in 2025, according to official statistics from the National Library of Sweden (Kungliga biblioteket). Spending on publications and media fell 0.7% to SEK 448 million ($46.6 million), or roughly 1.2% adjusted for inflation, while total operating costs increased to SEK 5.45 billion ($567.0 million). The report attributes the higher costs mainly to a rise in premises expenses and an increase in other operating costs, even as staffing declined by 103 employees. Spending on e-media remained flat at SEK 90.4 million ($9.4 million), while library visits and physical lending were stable year over year.
Sweden has one of the world’s strongest public library systems, but the figures show how rising operational costs are forcing libraries to reduce acquisitions for readers. One possible response would be increased public funding to allow libraries to maintain or expand book purchasing. At the same time, it is notable that in a market where more than 60% of book sales are in audio formats, libraries still play a limited role in the lending and distribution of digital content, particularly audiobooks, where their participation remains comparatively low.
Shared Shelves, Shared Reading: Asia Goes Social Offline
Across Asia, the publishing industry is embracing models built around participation, community, and shared reading experiences. According to KOREAWAVE, South Korean publishers and booksellers such as Kyobo Book Centre and Minumsa say reading is evolving from a solitary activity into a social experience centered on sharing, discussion, and community-building. The shift is unfolding alongside South Korea’s “Text Hip” trend—a youth-driven cultural movement that treats reading and literary engagement as fashionable and socially expressive—that is helping drive renewed interest in poetry, classics, and alternative book formats. In Japan, Sankei Shimbun reports that “shared bookstores” are expanding as retailers rent shelf space to individual participants who curate selections and organize events.
What stands out is the renewed importance of community around books at a time when younger generations, particularly Gen Z, are often described as spending more time online and less time socializing in person. In South Korea, the industry is increasingly recognizing that reading itself can become a social activity through events and shared participation. Japan’s shared-shelf model is especially notable because it allows readers to shape the bookstore experience directly by curating selections, promoting favorite titles, or showcasing their own work. Beyond generating additional revenue, the model strengthens a sense of belonging around physical bookselling—an approach that could resonate beyond Asia.
Audiobooks In Search of a Body
Digital Publishing Report’s audio@media channel looks at efforts to bring digital audiobooks back into physical retail, including Audible’s “Story House” pop-up in New York and its Newark listening-station hub, Bastei Lübbe’s NFC-based “Shelfie” product with Thalia, and Hörbuch Hamburg’s in-store listening lamps and social-media cube at Thalia locations in Germany. The report also notes earlier retail models such as prepaid cards and download codes, alongside newer hybrid approaches from Junivia, which pairs audiobook access with puzzles, and Tinybooks, which links miniature 3D-printed books to audiobook QR codes.
One challenge for audiobooks remains their lack of a physical dimension, particularly when it comes to gifting or building a visible personal collection. That also makes promoting audiobooks in bookstores and at book fairs significantly more challenging than for print editions. The latest retail experiments from Audible, Bastei Lübbe, and Hörbuch Hamburg suggest growing interest in creating more tangible and interactive audiobook experiences, potentially offering useful ideas for publishers and retailers in other markets.
From Pressure to Pleasure: An English Lesson for Schools
The Bookseller reports that Bloomsbury and the National Literacy Trust say their three-year LitUp reading-for-pleasure program in six Hastings primary schools has improved pupils’ attitudes to reading. According to a new report, 70% of pupils said author visits made them want to read more, while 44% of those not reading daily at the start increased their reading frequency. Meanwhile, 29% of children who did not enjoy reading at the outset reported increased enjoyment, while 31% who did not see themselves as good readers improved their perception of their own skills.
The emphasis on reading for pleasure is crucial. Too often, schools have approached reading as an obligation rather than something enjoyable, turning it into an activity children associate with pressure instead of discovery. Educational systems should be reviewing how reading is taught to ensure that lifelong reading habits are genuinely encouraged and developed. Many children begin school loving books but leave as reluctant readers—or even disliking reading altogether. Initiatives such as LitUp are important because they reconnect reading with enjoyment and curiosity, showing how schools can help sustain children’s natural enthusiasm for books.
Little Tonies Keep Growing Big
In a press release, Tonies reported first-quarter 2026 revenue up 29% year-over-year to €125.6 million ($147 million), or 35% at constant currency, with Toniebox revenue rising 54% to €25.4 million ($29.7 million) and Tonies figurines revenue up 25% to €95.4 million ($111.6 million). North America revenue grew 20% to €47.8 million ($55.9 million), DACH rose 28% to €50 million ($58.5 million), and Rest of World increased 50% percent to €27.9 million ($32.6 million).
The scale and consistency of Tonies’ growth is remarkable, with 29% quarterly revenue growth underlining how strongly the business continues to expand. Particularly notable is the performance of DACH, the company’s most mature region, which still delivered 28% growth despite the brand’s already high level of penetration there. More broadly, the results reinforce how speaker-box audio formats are becoming a mainstream and commercially viable solution for children’s audiobooks and storytelling.
What Else Caught My Eye
A Saint George. As the Buenos Aires Book Fair celebrates its 50th edition, one name deserves special recognition: Jorge Brianza Gutiérrez. During three decades at Fundación El Libro, he became almost synonymous with the fair itself, carrying much of its organization and spirit on his back until he left in 2025. His legacy is deeply connected not only to the Argentinean event, but also to global publishing as a whole.
A trademark potion. Obelix has defeated not the Romans this time, but a Polish weapon registration. A European court blocked the use of “Obelix” for ammunition and weapons in Poland. According to Boktugg.
An indie record. Clube de Autores, a leading self-publishing platform in Portuguese and Spanish, set a new daily publishing record on April 29, when 426 books were published on the platform in a single day. The milestone contributed to the 4,993 new titles uploaded to the platform during April.
A naughty panel. Paris will host its first Erotic Comics Fair in June, bringing together comic artists, illustrators, and publishers around erotic drawing, debates and workshops. Organizers say the genre is evolving far beyond the old “men drawing for men” tradition. According to ActuaLitté.
A manga salary. Saudi Arabia is reportedly offering Japanese manga editors contracts worth around ¥30 million ($190K) per year as part of its broader push into manga, anime, and gaming. According to Yahoo News
A Polish map. The Audiobook Market Report for 2025 by Marcin Gontarz tries to assemble a clearer picture of Poland’s audiobook sector. Some figures rely on estimates and assumptions — but the effort can still be very useful for foreign publishers and analysts trying to understand this fast-growing market.
The writer of this column has never fully recovered from being forced, as a teenager, to read books that made absolutely no sense to him. Few authors contributed more decisively to that trauma than José de Alencar, whose romantic and endless descriptions of trees, leaves, rivers, forests, branches, tropical landscapes—and more leaves!— in northeastern Brazil remain deeply engraved in his memory. In the south of the continent, the writer of this column has witnessed the almost superhuman dedication of Jorge Brianza through more than 30 editions of the Buenos Aires International Book Fair—from making sure free freight offers for booksellers actually worked to solving parking problems, logistical emergencies, and idiosyncratic crises. The writer once planned to organize a “Saint George Party” on April 23 at a Palermo bar during the fair as a tribute to Jorge’s endless efforts. Unfortunately, COVID intervened, and the party never happened. But perhaps there is still time.