One of the oldest squares in the city has now become a self-managed bazaar for booksellers and book lovers
By Carlos Acuña
The voice of a charlatan, the words of a librarian. A microphone in one hand, in the other a book that he raises to the sky so that the crowd can admire its details:
–Look at this inside –he says–, look at this cover. The publisher is Book club. Note: hardcover. A classic of the crime novel. Agatha Christie, Tragedy in Three Acts, No more, no less. Who’s going to give me a penny for this awesome book? Who? Five pesos over there! Six pesos! The shooting has already begun.
Ten pesos because he has and can! 15 pesos over there! 20 devalued over there! 25 says the lady! This is getting personal! Who’s going to give me 30? 28 over here! 30! 35! Let’s go down. 40 pesos!
For a couple of years now, the book auction has been a typical scene in the San Fernando Garden. Located next to the cemetery Where the remains of Benito Juárez rest, this small square where the Guerrero, Tabacalera and Centro Histórico neighborhoods also meet has a reputation for being a slum: sex work, the aroma of active ingredients in burlap and chickens slaughtered in mysterious Santeria rites during the early morning hours mark its weekly rhythm.
Every Saturday, however, from 10 a.m. until just before dusk, hundreds of booksellers, booksellers and bibliomaniacs of all kinds meet here to buy, barter or auction books, by the lot or by the copy, new or used, rarities, first editions, sales.
“There is no need to be greedy,” Daniel tells me. Satoshiwho today offers a mountain of books, at 15 pesos each. I could start digging around and see which books are worth more, to put them at 100, 200. But what matters to me is that they circulate: that they all go away.
Recycling and chatter
Each one has his own methods. MartonFor example, the beginning was the market: in his case, the one in San Juan, on Avenida Texcoco, Ciudad Neza. He worked there until a thief sold him two boxes of books: he sold them all, one by one. And from there, it was a real deal: it was a good business. In 2019, he decided to study History and it seemed logical to him to combine his school with this business.
Today, unlike most of those who make up the San Fernando Book Bazaar, Marton sells almost only new copies.
–The second-hand bookseller looks for unique sales, my friend –he tells me with his chilanguista charm–, rare but unrepeatable editions: you buy a book for 10 pesos and sell it for 200 or more. You have to have a good eye. I prefer industrial sales: if a book sells well, I have twenty others just like it.
His most successful books: The Stranger y The myth of Sisyphusby Albert Camus. Esoteric and witchcraft books are also selling like hotcakes. Marton also belongs to a group of booksellers who are fans of horror and science fiction: The Dead Booksellers.
–With these comrades, what we do is bring large shipments from Spain from the Valdemar publishing house and from Intempestiva. They are expensive editions of horror literature. We invest a lot of money and they bring it to us by boat. The game is to offer it cheaper than in bookstores.
Living spaces
Others like Santiago, from The Abysmal CafeBreriathey go to the recycling bins where people throw away aluminum and paper. There they can check if there is a batch of discarded books: it is known that divorcees, widows or the children of the most voracious readers have the unfortunate habit of selling off their deceased’s libraries by the pound.
–I spend my time in Market Place or Mercado Libre – Miriam, who calls herself, tells me Miri Book Hunter on social media. He has in his hands the second volume of David Seltzer’s The Prophecy, in its seventies edition. With enough patience he will manage to gather all the volumes and sell it for double the price. I also try my luck at the flea markets: in Las Torres or in the one on Eje 6 you can find good lots if you get there early.
Many of the booksellers who gather in San Fernando are young people. People who discovered this business a few years ago thanks to Facebook groups like The Corner of Chatting or the Dark Girl Auctions, where they began to experiment with new sales dynamics such as auctions or agreed deliveries, which allowed many to survive the pandemic.
According to the Reading Module 2024 According to INEGI, the reading population over 18 years of age has gradually decreased from 84% to 69% in the last nine years.
However, according to the same statistics, the young population has not stopped reading in the same proportion: 84% of the young people surveyed said they were still readers. And in general, what people read most today, despite Kindles and other digital platforms, are physical books: 41.8% said so.
What happens every Saturday at the San Fernando bazaar is something relatively new. It is not just another street bazaar or book fair, but the expression of a young community of bibliomaniacs that has gained strength and, for better or worse, has managed to organize itself to take over a space and keep it alive.
+ Data
- More than 100 booksellers meet every Saturday at the San Fernando Garden
- The reading population in Mexico has decreased by 15% in recent years
- 84 out of 100 young people declare themselves readers
