Estefani Huiza Fernández/
One of the most important appointments of the year was dedicated to the fantastic world of literature. The departments of Santa Cruz, La Paz and Cochabamba have organized large fairs, in which the departmental chambers of the book, municipalities, private cultural institutions and the national government through the Ministry of Culture, Decolonization and Depatriarchalization, the Banco Cultural Central de Bolivia, Editorial of the State, among others.
These fairs welcomed thousands of visitors eager to read a good book, even setting a record.
The Minister of Cultures, Decolonization and Depatriarchalization, Sabina Orellana, has announced that next year the state agency will present a National Book Fair that will involve all the departments of Bolivia. “They gave me this loan; one year, chaired by the Ministry of Culture, we will organize the National Book Fair of the Plurinational State, which will have its own budget and cultural activities,” Orellana said at the opening of the fair at the seat of government.
Peace
The La Paz International Book Fair took place from August 3 to 14 this year at the Chuquiago Marka Fairgrounds. The event paid tribute to the contribution of Bolivian women to literature, to this end its four rooms were dedicated to book presentations, readings and debates.
In this version, the fair was attended by 22 guests from Venezuela, Cuba, Spain, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico and Argentina, as well as the participation of important Bolivian writers Liliana Colanzi, Magela Baudoin and Giovanna Rivero, who spoke and exchanged views with own readers.
The Departmental Chamber of the Book of La Paz brings together 68 partners between bookshops and publishers. The president of the institution, David Pérez, stressed that the fair exceeded the goal of 100,000 visitors that the organizers had set.
“We had a target and we exceeded it, we are very satisfied and this allows us to have a much bigger target for next year,” he said.
Santa Cruz
The Santa Cruz International Book Fair brought together more than 120,000 visitors. The president of the Santa Cruz departmental chamber of books, Ruth Hohenstein, highlighted the participation of citizens who also came from other cities in the country. “We sold about 48,000 tickets, 33,000 students entered for free, another similar number for children, there were more than 1,000 teachers in educational sessions,” Hohenstein reported.
The president also highlighted the participation of over 65 independent writers, 88 new book signings, and over 175 outdoor activities that ran from 3pm to 10pm. “No one has been denied participation in the theaters because we believe that the fair belongs to everyone,” he added.
Hohenstein pointed out that all of his collaborators benefited because all the visitors left with the books.
Cochabamba
The Book Fair in the city of Cochabamba also broke a visitor record, this year reaching more than 45,693 visitors compared to last year.
The president of the Departmental Book Chamber of Cochabamba, Boris Vargas, said that “unlike other fairs that have taken place in Bolivia, we have proposed thematic fairs. This year’s theme was the Inca empire and pre-Columbian cultures, we are talking about cultures from over 500 years ago that we are showing to the Cochabamba public”.
Boris pointed out that five major museums of the country were also exhibited and that their program included more than 320 cultural activities, an unprecedented event.
“It was more than a fair, a Cultural Festival of Literature,” said Vargas.
Cochabamba has doubled its activities
The president of the Federation of Private Entities of Cochabamba, Luis Laredo, stressed that the event recovered the income of the country’s publishing sector which fights daily against smuggling.
To fulfill this task, the Departmental Book Chamber of Cochabamba has planned more than 300 activities, previously only 150, focused on the exaltation, in 11 literary days, of the culture of the land of Valle. That agenda included various book presentations, conversations, meetings with poets, booktubers and literary influencers, including a spelling tournament. In addition, relics were exhibited that showed the history of Bolivia and Peru.
Sales in FIL Santa Cruz up 15%
The Departmental Chamber of the Book of Santa Cruz held the 23rd International Fair from June 1 to 12 this year. After the conclusion of the event, the organizers reported, in a press conference to the local media, that their sales have increased by 15% compared to the previous management.
The chairman of that department’s Departmental Book Chamber, Ruth Hohenstein, stressed that the event brought together exhibitors from all departments of the country. In addition, important writers and entrepreneurs had guests, including Michael Sayman, the young promise of information technology of Peruvian and Bolivian origins. Her name was included in the list of the 30 most successful young people under 30 by Forbes magazine.
“He gave a series of lectures during the FIL in Santa Cruz,” added Hohenstein.
literature festival
The president of the Departmental Book Chamber of La Paz, David Pérez, stressed that this year the fair had more than 400 activities and some key themes, such as the fight against violence against women, the decade of indigenous languages and the youth and childhood.
“To promote the development of these three axes, we organize talks, talks, workshops and various cultural activities,” said Pérez.
Likewise, the representative of this institution recalled that there was also music during the days of the fair. Among the artists who performed were Luzmila Carpio, the National Symphony Orchestra, Piraí Vaca, Música de Maestros, among other talented artists.
The rooms were dedicated to Feminiflor (women’s cultural magazine), Ateneo Femenino, Domitilla Chungara and Emma Villazón.
“In Bolivia we don’t have a book studio, but it is one of the outstanding things that we have as a Departmental Chamber of the Book. Reading is a sensory experience because it involves not only sight but also hearing, smell, touch, it’s a different experience”, added Pérez.
The president of the Departmental Book Chamber of La Paz said that reading allows children, young people and adults to better understand concepts and ideas, improve vocabulary and the way of writing.
Pérez stressed that the literary event has gone from being just a book fair to becoming a “multicultural and multidisciplinary event”.
