With a volume of 8.2 billion CZK, over 12,000 new titles published annually, and digital formats of e-books and audiobooks growing at the unprecedented rate of almost 40%, at first glance the Czech book market appears to be thriving. But the data tell a more complex story. Although we have zero VAT on books, the number of published titles continues to fall. The market is consolidating – retail is dominated by an ever smaller number of large players, while small and medium-sized publishers are struggling for visibility, distribution and survival. Readers – especially younger ones – are not on the increase. The discussion brings together perspectives from two sides of the market: that of a large publisher making good use of statistics and with other interests besides, and that of a small publisher for whom profit is not the primary aim. Will they agree on what the figures show?
 

Martin Vopěnka, Petra Diestlerová, Radka Patočková. Moderation: Anna Štičková