Pottermore Publishing, Penguin Random House, Hachette/Audiolib, Arabookverse and Bonnier UK will be among those represented on the BolognaBookPlus stage on 2 April 2025. Ann Scantlebury, Lance Fitzgerald, Laure Saget, Ahmed Rewihel and Jon Watt will be following in the footsteps of last year’s line-up at the standing-room only 2024 event.
Once again, BolognaBookPlus has partnered with Beat Technology’s Nathan Hull to curate this timely Forum, showcasing the continuing rise of the ever-growing and accessible route to books, and the industry’s embrace of new audiences.
Giving a sneak preview of the caliber of speakers promised for this popular event, Nathan Hull says, “Following the packed theater, enthusiastic responses and feedback from last year’s inaugural Audio Forum at BolognaBookPlus, I am thrilled we are back for 2025. The industry’s and public’s fervor for audio has continued unabated, so expect a schedule stacked with leading industry names, international publishing houses and studios to highlight, debate and celebrate audiobooks in all their glory.”
First published during the pandemic, Tom Benjamin’s Bologna-based Daniel Leicester detective series will be on show to the world when its creator takes on the mantle of Author Ambassador 2025. Published by Constable, Little, Brown and agented by Bill Goodall, The Bill Goodall Agency, Tom’s books are the must-read for all explorers of Bologna, whether in-person, or from an armchair.
Bologna and its restaurants, bars, buildings, history and personalities are brought to life through the pages of these six critically acclaimed mysteries, with a seventh on the way. Praised by the UK press, The Times applauded his vivid sense of place, while The Daily Mail declared him in “the first division of crime writers.”
To celebrate the social, historic, gastronomic and eye-opening insights that Tom’s books offer the reader, BolognaBookPlus announced that award-winning illustrator, author and Italophile, Neil Packer will illustrate a map with some of the watering holes and eateries featured in Tom’s evocative books.
Tom Benjamin says, ‘I’m delighted to be the BolognaBookPlus Author Ambassador 2025, and in the city so close to my heart and books. My series is as much about unravelling the mystery of Italy as those tackled by Daniel, which is partly why I think it struck such a chord with readers.’
Jacks Thomas, guest director, BolognaBookPlus adds, “The speakers, the talent, the issues and the debate on offer through BolognaBookPlus go some way to explain its continuing growth in both size and influence. As a hub for lifting the lid on industry achievements and challenges, it is wonderful to welcome cutting-edge curation partners such as Nathan Hull from Beat Technology and the creative talents of one my own reading highlights of 2024, Tom Benjamin. The icing on the cake is for us to be established long enough to be able to welcome back previous BolognaBookPlus stars such as Neil Packer. Watch out for the ‘Benjamin Bologna Bars and Beyond’ mini-guide, before making any important decisions for fun at Bologna 2025!”
