Tahiti, October 20, 2024 – The 2024 book fair ended this Sunday. It took place for four days at To’atā Square. THE The public flocked to certain highlights, such as the blues concert organized on Thursday evening or the round table devoted to Henri Hiro on Sunday morning. They can all be found online.
“We came for the children”, explains Sarah, a visitor to the book fair. She admits to using an e-reader to immerse herself in reading, but she insisted on accompanying these two little ones aged 3 and 6 to the children’s literature stands. “They have a soft spot for Vaititi”, she confides. Like her, many people have made the trip to obtain books. “We sold a lot of books”, confirms Christian Robert, president of the Association of Publishers of Tahiti and the Islands (AETI).
Robert Koenig, publisher, also acknowledges having welcomed a large number of visitors, particularly schoolchildren, but also parents “who took the time to let their children touch the books, handle them, be interested in them”. Some also stopped by to present manuscripts. Readers and authors took advantage of the party.
Concert, parade and discoveries
The program was busy: signings, round tables, meetings with authors, illustrator publishers, discussions, screenings, shows, exhibitions, games, workshops (mask making, cosplay, etc.). The show invited the public to discover but also to write with a master class and a workshop.
Several highlights marked these four days, and in particular the parade of superhero costumes with the Comic Fenua association or the blues concert which took place Thursday evening with the author David Fauquemberg on vocals and on harmonica accompanied by guitarist Kion. They paid tribute to the great masters of the blues in front of more than a hundred people.
Sunday morning, the book presentation, “Henri Hiro, taùrua nui i te amo àha” with Tea Hirshon, Jean-Paul Barral, Alexandre Champes and Hitihiti Hiro, moderated by Bruno Saura, was also a great success. “It was a full house. I believe that the public and the guests were touched”, notes Christian Robert. They were sensitive to the theme, but also to the testimonies.
