Thinking Literature in Translation brought together publishing analysts and industry representatives to examine recent shifts in European book markets linked to the growing circulation of English-language titles.
The panel From BookTok to Bookshelves: The Rise of English Language Book Sales in Europe explored which European markets had experienced a significant increase in the sales of original-language books, particularly in English, and analysed the role that social media platforms—especially TikTok—had played in accelerating this trend. The discussion addressed how digital visibility, algorithm-driven discovery, and reader communities had influenced purchasing behaviour across borders.
Drawing on market data and industry insights, the speakers examined the implications of these developments for publishers, booksellers, translators, and cultural institutions in the most affected markets. The panel also reflected on how the rise of English-language book consumption had reshaped translation dynamics, local publishing strategies, and long-term market sustainability.
Speakers:
— Enrico Turrin, Federation of European Publishers (Belgium)
— Philip Stone, Nielsen BookData (United Kingdom)
Video: Ivan Nikolov
The conference was organised by the Next Page Foundation in partnership with the Cultural Center of Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, the Department of English and American Studies at Sofia University, and the Bulgarian Book Association. It formed part of ThinkPub — Thinking Publishing, a project co-funded by the Creative Europe Programme of the European Union and the National Culture Fund of Bulgaria.
