Dissemination
Gloria Gómez-Escalonilla to Deliver Two Seminars on the Role of Social Media in Literary Dissemination
Gloria Gómez-Escalonilla, professor at Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, will deliver two seminars on October 13 and 14 addressing the role of social media in the dissemination of literature. Gloria is currently undertaking a research stay at CIAC, which began on July 28 and will continue until January 26. Her work focuses on a comparative study of the presence and activity of Portuguese publishing houses on social media, as well as of content creators (influencers) specialising in books.
Gloria Gómez-Escalonilla holds a degree and a PhD in Communication Sciences and teaches at the Faculty of Communication Sciences at Universidad Rey Juan Carlos. Her research interests include the publishing industry, and she has participated in several projects and publications, among which Libro y entorno digital, un encuentro de futuro (2003, Gedisa) stands out. Another of her main research lines is cultural journalism, explored both through research — as director of the project Cultural Scape. Cartografía de los modelos de mediación literaria en línea — and through publications such as La cultura en los medios: el protagonismo de los eventos culturales (2019, Dykinson). She also teaches the course El mercado de la Cultura in the Master’s Programme in Cultural Journalism at Universidad Rey Juan Carlos.
Seminar 1: Changes in the Forms of Book Recommendation
Date and time: October 13, 10:30–12:30
Location: Room 3.13, Pedagogical Complex, Gambelas Campus
Context: Course Communication in Contemporary Times (Línguas e Comunicação Intercultural / Línguas, Literaturas e Culturas)
Moderation and organisation: Olivia Novoa Fernández
Abstract:
This seminar offers an overview of the changes in the ways books are recommended — from traditional criticism and media to digital networks. It provides a portrait of the presence of Spanish and Portuguese publishers on social media, analysing their profiles and posts, and comparing their approaches.
The main narratives are examined, concluding that many posts rely on influencers, opening a discussion on this figure, who has become increasingly relevant in social media environments.
Seminar 2: Books and Social Media — Publishers in Networks and Book Influencers
Date and time: October 14, 10:30–12:30
Location: Room 1.56, Building 1, Faculty of Human and Social Sciences, Gambelas Campus
Context: Course Spanish Language and Culture V (Línguas e Comunicação Intercultural / Línguas, Literaturas e Culturas)
Moderation and organisation: Olivia Novoa Fernández
Abstract:
This seminar proposes a reflection on the role digital platforms play in the promotion and consumption of literature today. From a dual perspective — institutional and social — it will address both the strategies of publishing houses in the digital environment and the influence of new reading mediators, the so-called book influencers.
In the first part, the seminar will present an overview of literary publishers’ presence on social media, comparing cases from Spain and Portugal. It will analyse how these institutions have adapted their communication channels to digital environments, what literary promotion strategies they have developed, and how they engage with readers through these platforms.
In the second part, the focus will shift to the figure of the book influencer: content creators who, through reviews, recommendations, videos, or posts, have emerged as new prescriptive actors in reading. The results of a study conducted with Spanish students will be presented, providing data on the sociological profile of these influencers, the characteristics of their publications, and the type of interaction they generate.
Finally, the methodology applied in this study will be shared with participants, with the aim of replicating the research in the Portuguese context. Students in Portugal will thus be invited to take part in the project by completing a specific questionnaire about their own reading practices on social media.
This comparative approach aims to foster dialogue and analysis on the similarities and differences in the digital book ecosystem of both countries, as well as on the challenges and opportunities literary communication faces today in a global context.
These seminars are supported by national funds through FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, I.P., under the project “UID/04019/2025 – CIAC.”
Esta publicação também está disponível em: Portuguese (Portugal)