Book Biennial has an economic impact of more than half a billion reais in the city of Rio

City Hall encourages the participation of education professionals in the event and announces actions and policies formulated for the year of Rio de Janeiro's World Book Capital - Photo: Marco Antonio Lima/City Hall of Rio de Janeiro

The Book Biennial broke attendance records in 2025 and had an economic impact of R$535,4 million on the city of Rio. The estimate is part of a study by the Municipal Department of Economic Development, in partnership with the Municipal Department of Culture, and takes into account the 740 people who attended the Biennial and the public's spending on tickets, book purchases, food, transportation, and accommodation. The results were presented during a press conference at the closing of the book fair, which was attended by Rio's acting mayor, Eduardo Cavaliere, the municipal secretary of Culture, Lucas Padilha, and the municipal secretary of Education, Renan Ferreirinha.

– The Biennial has the power to show that Rio de Janeiro, more than just continuing to read, continues to be read. In the most varied forms of cultural and artistic expression, books are the common denominator that makes Brazil and the world continue to read Rio de Janeiro. The title of World Book Capital fulfills this role of making us understand the dimension of our city and our country in Literature – said Vice Mayor Eduardo Cavaliere.

During the ten days of the event, 6,8 million books were sold. This represents, on average, 9,2 books purchased per person. With this, the estimated book sales are R$215,4 million.

Of the people who attended the Biennale, it is estimated that 88% are residents of the city of Rio or the Metropolitan Region and 12% are national tourists. The estimated economic impact of the spending of national tourists in Rio during this period is R$188 million. Other expenses of the locals and residents of the Metropolitan Region of Rio de Janeiro at the Biennale – such as transportation and food, for example – are estimated at R$44,6 million.

Municipal Department of Education is present at the Biennial

The Rio de Janeiro Municipal Department of Education (SME) was a highlight at the 2025 Book Biennial with a 150 m² stand full of educational activities for students, teachers and the general public. In total, 100 guests presented themselves, in 100 hours of programming and 10 hours of daily activities.

The Department of Education took 56 education professionals and 30 students from all walks of life to visit the country's largest literature festival free of charge. Vouchers were distributed to renew school collections: each municipal school received between R$1.000 and R$1.400 to purchase books and teaching materials and renew their literary collections, with a guideline that at least 30% of this amount would be allocated to African, Afro-Brazilian and indigenous literature.

– One of the biggest public policies for promoting reading in the city are the libraries and reading rooms in municipal schools. This is where children can learn about other narratives and understand that they can be the protagonists of their own stories. From there, books become a window to a world of discoveries – highlighted the municipal secretary of Education, Renan Ferreirinha.

In addition to the schools, each student received a R$25 voucher, and each education professional received a R$100 voucher. More than R$8,5 million was invested by the Secretariat to reaffirm the commitment of the City of Rio to promoting reading, pedagogical innovation, social inclusion and equity, reinforcing the city's title as World Book Capital.

New actions in the year of Rio de Janeiro World Book Capital

When presenting the balance of the activities at the Rio World Book Capital stand, the municipal secretary of Culture, Lucas Padilha, highlighted the 53 panels on the most varied themes related to literature and the Brazilian publishing market, which included the participation of foreign writers such as the Spaniard Jorge Carrión, the Argentine Marina Berri and the Portuguese Paulo Santos and Lídia Jorge.

The secretary also presented a package of actions and policies formulated within the scope of choosing Rio as the World Book Capital, and expanded upon based on the experiences gained at the Book Biennial.

Watch Book

The first of these is Observa Livro, a strategic and permanent initiative that will map, analyze and publicize the multifaceted impact of books and reading in the city of Rio de Janeiro, in its economic, cultural, educational and social dimensions.

– The objective is to position Rio de Janeiro as a center of excellence in research and data on the universe of books and reading, subsidizing public policies and private initiatives that boost the sector – explained Lucas Padilha.

The objectives are:

• Economic Mapping: Conduct ongoing research to measure the economic impact of books, including data on job creation, financial activity of publishers, bookstores and events, literary tourism and the consumption of associated goods and services.
• Cultural and Educational Analysis: Investigate the reading habits of the population of Rio de Janeiro, access to collections, the formation of readers, the impact of projects to encourage reading and the relationship between literacy and social development.
• Trend Identification: Monitor changes in the publishing market, new reading technologies, digital platforms and content consumption trends.
• Subsidy for Public Policies: Generate data and analyses that serve as a basis for the creation and improvement of effective public policies in the cultural, educational and economic spheres.
• Research and Dissemination Promotion: Encourage academic studies and field research on books and reading in the context of Rio de Janeiro. Disseminate research results in an accessible way to civil society, the publishing market, public administrators and the academic community.

João and Julia Award from Rio

The Prêmio Carioca de Leitura is being created with the aim of recognizing, valuing and fostering actions to promote reading, books and literature in Rio de Janeiro, with special attention to community, peripheral and grassroots initiatives. The award includes 10 literary categories, each focused on a specific type of contribution to the city's reading culture. The project will be carried out with resources from the Aldir Blanc National Policy (PNAB), in line with the principles of decentralization, diversity, democratization of access and appreciation of local knowledge and cultural practices. 10 prizes will be awarded, worth R$15, totaling R$150. The prizes will be awarded to:

• Best Community Library
• Best Reading Mediation Program
• Literary Revelation
• Literary Accessibility Actions
• Orality and Musicality
• Carioca Identity
• Digital Innovation in Reading Promotion
• Journalism and Literary Criticism in Local Focus
• Children's Literature
• Preservation and Heritage

Junior Editorial Academy (AEJ)

An initiative of the National Union of Book Publishers (SNEL), this is a social project that promotes the training, inclusion and professionalization of young talents in the publishing market. With a focus on diversity, employability and innovation, AEJ offers an intensive journey of practical and theoretical training over 6 months, culminating in a transformative experience during the 10 days of the Rio Book Biennial. The cycle ends at the Biennial, where the young participants present to the public the result of their work: an authorial book developed by them during the project, in addition to direct contact with the final audience, publishers and exhibitors. This moment is essential for the visibility of their talents and integration into the job market. The project offers scholarships, transportation and food assistance, teaching materials, specialized mentoring and support for professional development, including curriculum preparation and interview guidance.

Translation Grant for Rio de Janeiro World Book Capital

Grants to support the translation of works by Brazilian authors to foreign publishers who wish to translate (into any language), publish and distribute abroad books in printed or digital format, previously published in Brazil in Portuguese. This support will be valid for one year, or until the 10 grants, worth a maximum of R$10, are awarded.

Unification of Public and Community Libraries in Rio de Janeiro

An innovative project to unify the city's public and community library systems, with the aim of creating an integrated network that optimizes access to knowledge and culture for all Rio citizens.

The project consists of developing a unified cataloging system. This means that the entire collection of public and community libraries will be consolidated into a single database, allowing for centralized and efficient searches. In addition, a service will be implemented to transfer titles between libraries. If a desired book is not available in the library closest to the user, it can be requested and sent from another unit in the network, significantly expanding the availability of the collection.