Applications to participate in the Book Arsenal Fellowship Program 2026 were received from 35 countries. As a result of the competitive selection, eight participants were chosen for this year’s program—publishers, agents and rights managers from the Czech Republic, Sweden, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Egypt, Georgia and Peru.
We invite Ukrainian publishers, rights managers and agents to meet with their foreign colleagues participating in the Book Arsenal Fellowship Program 2026 in the B2B meeting format during this year’s Book Arsenal.
To arrange B2B meetings with the program participants, please fill out the Google form by May 1 (inclusive). In case of any additional questions and need for clarifications, please contact the organizers by email—[email protected].
A separate location in the space of the 14th International Book Arsenal Festival will be available for meetings between Ukrainian and foreign publishers, agents and rights managers on Friday, May 29, from 2:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., and on Saturday, May 30, from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
The Fellowship Program participants will receive information in advance about the Ukrainian book market, opportunities for supporting the publication of translations of Ukrainian titles abroad and will be provided with a list of the publishers participating in the 14th International Book Arsenal Festival.
PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS 2026
Armando Alzamora
Perú
Publisher and editor
Colmena Editores
www.colmenaeditores.com
Armando Alzamora is a literary critic, editor, and Ph.D. candidate in Literature at Pontificia Univerisdad Católica del Peru. He leads Colmena Editores, an independent press founded in 2012 dedicated to editorial rescues and the promotion of boundary-pushing contemporary voices. His expertise has led him to represent Peru at major international book fairs across Latin America, Europe, and Asia. As an author, he has published the short story collection Un perro yonqui (2012) and the children’s book Hermonos (2020). He focuses on the dialogue between literary studies and field-based editorial practice.
Colmena Editores carves a unique path by bridging the gap between deep-rooted traditions and bold avant-garde trends. Its rigorous catalog features curated collections of fiction, poetry, essays, and hybrid texts that defy conventional classifications. From modern classics to insightful literary criticism, the press focuses on works with lasting impact. At Colmena, publishing is an act of cultural resistance and social transformation, committed to expanding reading horizons beyond national borders.
Email: [email protected]
Benas Berantas
Lithuania
Rights Agent and Scout
Book Smugglers Agency
Benas Berantas is a translation rights agent, scout, and publishing professional with over 13 years of experience. As a leading “book smuggler” at Book Smugglers Agency, he has brought numerous Lithuanian titles for young readers to international markets. Benas regularly attends major book fairs and has spoken on industry panels in Bologna, Frankfurt, Guadalajara, Taipei, and beyond. Back in Lithuania, he led the introduction of an international rights centre at the Vilnius Book Fair and co-organized a fellowship for visiting editors.
Book Smugglers Agency, founded in 2017, is the only independent translation rights and scouting agency in the Baltics, with a strong focus on books for young readers. The agency represents a carefully curated catalogue of visually distinctive and internationally appealing titles, and has sold rights in more than 35 languages worldwide. Two years ago the agency expanded into literary and upmarket fiction. Alongside its rights work, it scouts exceptional titles from around the world.
Email: [email protected]
Mohamed ELBAALY
Egypt
Publisher
Sefsafa Culture & Publishing
www.sefsafa.com
Established in 2011, Sefsafa is a progressive independent publishing house and a leading force in the Arab literary scene. With a catalog exceeding 500 titles, we specialize in high-quality translations from over 30 languages, promoting “biblio-diversity” and bridging the gap between Global South and European literatures. Our list features Nobel Laureates such as Patrick Modiano and Peter Handke, alongside International Booker Prize winners like Jenny Erpenbeck and Shehan Karunatilaka. We are also the founder and organizer of the Cairo International Literature Festival (CILF), a major hub for cultural exchange.
Email: [email protected]
Elisabed Pirtskhalava
Georgia
Publisher and Literary Rights Manager
Palitra L Publishing
www.palitral.ge
Elisabed Pirtskhalava is a Publisher and Literary Rights Manager at Palitra L in Tbilisi. Combining a BA in Book Illustration and Design with experience in rights acquisition, she has published over a hundred children’s titles. Elisabed’s professional focus is the exchange of literature between nations with shared cultural or historical backgrounds. She operates on the conviction that communication between culturally aligned markets is essential for a diverse global literary landscape, and she is interested in identifying synergies between the Georgian market and international partners from smaller, yet culturally rich, nations.
Palitra L Publishing, a subsidiary of the Palitra Media Holding, is Georgia’s largest publishing enterprise. Since 2005, the house has dominated the domestic market, publishing over 200 new titles annually across all genres. Under its current expansion strategy, Palitra L is actively positioning Georgian authors within the international market. By leveraging deep industry connections, the firm aims to bridge the gap between local talent and global audiences, ensuring that Georgian literature achieves the worldwide recognition its quality demands.
Email: [email protected]
Tom Müller
Germany
Еditorial director and Literary agent
Tropen
www.klett-cotta.de
From 2019 till 2026 I was editorial director of German Tropen Verlag which is an imprint of Klett-Cotta. With authors like booker prize winners Bernardine Evaristo and Anna Burns,, east european voices like the Georgian Zaza Burchuladze or Ukrainian Julija Mykytenko as well as a list of German authors like climate activist Luisa Neubauer our profile was very contemporary. I have left my position at the end of ’25 and am currently preparing to work from fall 2026 as an literary agent (most probably in cooperation with a bigger agency). I am also curator of literary exhibitions, like the Read Parade and others, often in cooperation with book festivals or fairs.
Email: [email protected]
Eva Kruk
Sweden
Publisher
Bonnier Fakta
www.bonnierfakta.se
Publisher specialized on illustrated non-fiction at Bonnier Fakta. I enjoy well-designed books covering subjects such as art, food, crafts, gardening and lifestyle.
Email: [email protected]
Pavlína Juračková
Czechia
Editor and Manager of international rights
PASEKA
www.paseka.cz
Editor and Manager of international rights at Paseka, a Czech publishing house founded in 1989. She studied Hispanic and Luso-Brazilian Studies, as well as Comparative Literature, at Charles University in Prague. Since 2022, she has promoted Paseka·s titles internationally and has participated in major book fairs and festivals worldwide, including Guadalajara, Cairo, Shanghai, Brooklyn, Madrid, London, Bologna, Frankfurt, and Leipzig, as well as renowned comic book festivals such as Angoulême and Erlangen.
Email: [email protected]
Luigi Belmonte
Italy
Chief of the Publisher
Giunti Editore
Strategic publishing executive with over two decades of experience transforming book portfolios into cultural and commercial successes. Currently serving as Chief of Trade Publishing at Gruppo Giunti, where I lead editorial and publishing operations across prestigious brands. The Giunti Group is the third-largest publishing group in Italy: third in the publishing sector and first in the bookstore chain: Editorial Director at the Mondadori Group, responsible for prestigious brands such as Oscar Mondadori, Meridiani, and other long standing series; Marketing Manager at Mondadori Group; Product Manager at Mondadori Group; Controller at Gruppo Editoriale L’Espresso.
Email: [email protected]
We are also pleased to announce that Peishan Huang, a representative of Slowork Publishing (Taiwan), is joining the Book Arsenal Fellowship Program 2026.
Peishan will join the program on an independent basis, demonstrating an interest in international cooperation and openness to dialogue within the publishing community.
The Book Arsenal Fellowship Program takes place within the 14th International Book Arsenal Festival and is supported by the International Renaissance Foundation.