Publishing Perspectives Forum at Frankfurt 2025

October 15 to 17, 2025 at Frankfurter Buchmesse:
Publishing Perspectives Forum is returning to Frankfurt Book Fair. Our events this year will be staged in the Frankfurt Studio, just off the Agora on ground floor, Hall 4.0.

Our partner event with The Charleston Conference will take place on Friday on the Innovation Stage, Hall 4.0, H106.

Both programs are free to all registered Frankfurt Book Fair attendees.

Returning this year are our flagship Executive Talks with three key leadership figures—this time  from the United Kingdom, France, and Germany, plus a look at the future of audio from the perspective of small publishers and experts pushing the boundaries.

The Publishing Perspectives Forum Program at Frankfurter Buchmesse 2025

Wednesday, October 15
11:00 to 11:45 a.m.
Executive Talk: Perminder Mann

Perminder Mann—for almost eight years CEO of Bonnier Books UK—was appointed in February by Jonathan Karp to lead Simon & Schuster UK and serve as CEO to Simon & Schuster International.

Speakers

  • Perminder Mann, CEO, Simon & Schuster UK and International
  • In conversation with Porter Anderson, Editor-in Chief, Publishing Perspectives
3:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Expanding the Way We Think About Audio — in two parts
  • Independent Publishers and Audio: New Voices, Advantages, and Challenges
    • Sabine Cramer, Publisher and CEO of Dumont Publishing, Koln
    • Jon Watt, audio and business development director at Bonnier Books UK, London
    • Moderated by Porter Anderson, Editor-in Chief, Publishing Perspectives
  • Theater of the Mind: Exploring Immersive Worlds and New Audio Experiences – The dawn of premium audio services is upon us. Audio continues to be on the rise, but listeners now want more – better sound, better stories, better production. In this panel, Nathan Hull will speak with two experts to discuss multi-cast productions, soundtracks, foley, Dolby Atmos and how publishers can engage with this future of audio. Featuring:
    • Richard Addis, Music, Podcast, and Post-Production Partnerships, Dolby Europe
    • Kelly Garner, Founder, Treefort Media
    • Moderated by Nathan Hull, Chief Strategy Officer, Beat Technology
Thursday, October 16

11:30 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
Executive Talk: Véronique Cardi

Véronique Cardi—CEO of Hachette Livres’ Éditions JC Lattès and Éditions du Masque—is one of the 40 Forbes Women of France and a lead player in the contemporary fiction, and nonfiction, and culture of France.

Speakers

  • Véronique Cardi, CEO of Hachette Livres’ Éditions JC Lattès, Éditions du Masque
  • In conversation with Porter Anderson, Editor-in Chief, Publishing Perspectives
Friday, October 17
11:00 to 11:45 a.m.
Executive Talk: Christian Schumacher-Gebler

Christian Schumacher-Gebler—CEO of Bonnier Germany—is an executive committee member of the International Publishers Association and an astute observer of Europe’s and Germany’s publishing challenges and potentials.

Speakers

  • Christian Schumacher-Gebler, CEO of Bonnier Germany
  • In conversation with Porter Anderson, Editor-in Chief, Publishing Perspectives

 

 

The Charleston Conference Program at Frankfurter Buchmesse 2025

Friday, October 17, Innovation Stage, Hall 4.0, H106

9:00 to 10:00 a.m.
Case Study Carousel: Real-life Use Cases of AI in Academic Libraries and Publishing

10 minutes per speaker (4 presenters), with 15 minutes for Q&A – presenting concrete, real-world examples of how AI is being used responsibly in publishing and scholarly communication.

  • Moderated by Sven Fund, Managing Director, Reviewer Credits and FullStopp
  • Emre Danisan, CEO EDanex Solutions
  • Carsten Borchert, CEO SciFlow
  • Max Mosterd, Co-Founder Product, Sylla
  • Viktoriya Vasilenko, Knowledge Gate Group
  • Tiago Barros, Co-Founder, Signals
10:00 to 11:00 a.m.
Round Robin Interview: “US Funding Cuts Imperil Open Infrastructure Globally”

Building on the conversations at Charleston In Between in Berlin, this fast-paced, round-robin session brings together multiple viewpoints on a critical topic. Each participant interviews the next, creating a lively chain of conversations that comes full circle. The format keeps energy high, perspectives fresh, and the audience engaged throughout.

  • Moderated by Leah Hinds, Executive Director, Charleston Hub
  • Frances Pinter, Director, Academic Relations, Central European University Press
  • Emily Poznanski, CEO De Gruyter Brill Sp. z o.o. and EVP Product & Publisher Relations, Paradigm Publishing Services
  • Dean Smith, Director of Duke University Press
  • Nasra Gathoni, Senior Instructor, Aga Khan University and Chair, Research4Life Equity Committee
  • Librarian to be confirmed
About Publishing Perspectives Forum

Les Nouveaux Éditeurs’ Arnaud Nourry in a 2024 Executive Talk in the Publishing Perspectives Forum. Image: FBM, Marc Jacquemin

Join the international trade news medium Publishing Perspectives in our ongoing series of in-person and online events each year at Frankfurt, highlighting people, issues, and trends shaping the world publishing industry.

David Shelley, CEO of Hachette Book Group US and Hachette UK, in an Executive Talk in the 2024 Publishing Perspectives Forum. Image: FBM, Marc Jacquemin

Publishing Perspectives Forum staged its debut at the 2022 Frankfurter Buchmesse, featuring talks with industry executives, independent publishers and entrepreneurs, and newsmakers working in the sphere of publishing, reading, and cultural issues.

Past speakers have included Nihar Malaviya, Charlie Redmayne, David Shelley, Jonny Geller, Juergen Boos, Núria Cabutí, Peter Warwick, Arnaud Nourry, Kim Chongsatitwana, Markus Dohle, Amanda D’Acierno, Lee Jarit, Trip Adler, Sven Fund, Tom Kraushaar, Nelleke Geel, Nina von Moltke, and many more.