The next edition of the Lisbon Book Fair (FLL), which will take place from 29 May to 16 June, counts with 10 more exhibitors than in previous years and is expected to reach its limit despite the ongoing demand for more participation. The president of the Portuguese Association of Publishers and Booksellers (APEL), Pedro Sobral, explained that “there are many new participants who want to enter, whether national or international”.

The massive triumph of the FLL over the last years has made it to reach its limit in terms of physical growth. As Pedro Sobral has mentioned, “Today we suffer from the success of the fair itself”. As he added, “We decided at APEL that this park of 350 pavilions, which will end with 10 more, is sufficient. It is a very large financial burden and we do not want to leave a complicated burden to the next management and, in addition, the space is complex to manage”, he explained.

In order to achieve this goal, APEL collaborated with Access Lab, a Portuguese organization that addresses accessibility issues and defends the cultural rights of those with disabilities, to make the fair "much more accessible." As Pedro Sobral has explained “We have been improving, we started with the issue of sustainability, which was clearly won last year. This year we focused a lot on accessibility because we received a lot of input from various associations that suggested improvements in accessibility, whether for people with motor disabilities or blind people”.