Feria del Libro de La Habana attracts attention in Bolivia

Sucre, August 9 (RHC) - The International Book Fair of La Habana, scheduled from February 8th to 18th, 2024, is attracting attention from Bolivians and attendees from other nationalities at its counterpart in the city of La Paz.

"We officially presented the 32nd International Book Fair - FIL - of La Habana at this cultural event in Bolivia, and we are very pleased with the reception," said Yaquelín Sánchez, an official from the Cuban Ministry of Culture, in an interview with Prensa Latina.

Sánchez, an International Relations specialist from the Cuban Book Institute, anticipated that the 2024 FIL in La Habana will have a different dynamism.

She acknowledged that the literary festival is positioned as one of the most recognized in Latin America and, above all, it is the most important cultural event held in Cuba throughout the year.

She described it as the cultural event that the Cuban family eagerly awaits, as it brings together a strong publishing community. It is the space used to discuss publishing, translation, rights management, and, above all, to buy books.

"The FIL of La Habana brings together literature, as well as theater for children, visual arts, dance, and music," commented Sánchez. "Each year, it features a guest country of honor, which presents books and brings its culture to Cuba, exposing it to the attending public."

Sánchez highlighted a unique characteristic of the Cuban FIL: it extends throughout the country from February to April, reaching even the most remote and inaccessible areas so that everyone can enjoy the culture.

Referring to the collaboration with the host country of the 27th edition of the FIL in La Paz, the specialist described the links with the Editorial del Estado Plurinacional as "strong."

"In this regard, it facilitates the production and promotion of Cuban literature here in Bolivia and brings a broad representation of Bolivian literature to the Havana Fair," she said.

"On our part," she continued, "the presentation of the novel Perro Viejo by Cuban writer Teresa Cárdenas here in Bolivia was a significant event, as the author engaged with the Bolivian public and Cuban residents in Bolivia."

She emphasized that although Perro Viejo is primarily aimed at children and young people, its universality and humanism also resonate with adults. The novel received the prestigious Casa de las Américas Award and the Annual Critics Award.

"I believe that Perro Viejo was the perfect pretext to promote all Cuban culture and traditions at the FIL in La Paz, with the support of the Editorial del Estado Plurinacional, which produced this beautiful Bolivian edition," she added.

Regarding Cárdenas, she commented that she is a great communicator and a distinguished social worker in Old Havana through culture, and her interaction with the audience in Bolivia was of great interest.

Sánchez expressed gratitude to the Cuban Embassy in Bolivia, stating that they are "our right hand, left hand, and whole body."

The specialist praised the intervention of Ambassador Danilo Sánchez during the presentation of the FIL in La Habana 2024 in La Paz, describing it as stimulating, profound, and convincing.

"His account was very moving, as he detailed the efforts of the Revolution in the 1961 literacy campaign and its great cultural successes recognized worldwide today. We are very grateful," concluded the representative of the Cuban Book Institute. (Source: Prensa Latina).