International Book Fairs Excite in Guatemala

by David Unger -- Críticas, 8/15/2006

The 10^th edition of the Central American International Book Fair (FILCEN), coinciding with the 4^th Guatemala International Book Fair (FILGUA), took place from July 28 to August 6 in Guatemala City. Though most of the 75 exhibitors were from Guatemala, 18 countries were represented overall. Publishers from Mexico, Spain, Colombia, Peru, Cuba, Argentina, Dominican Republic, Chile, Uruguay, and Venezuela were ecstatic over the attendance, double last year’s; most reported doubling their sales as well.

Magdalena Pérez Paydo and
Patricia Aldana (Groundwood Press)

The highlight of the fair was the International Children’s Literature Symposium which attracted over 500 paid attendees from across Guatemala. The event was organized by the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY) and the Guatemalan Book Chamber, with support from the Soros Foundation. Guest speakers—former ALA president Carol Brey Casiano and IBBY VP and Groundwood Press publisher Patricia Aldana—talked about ways to promote reading and how libraries can be established throughout the country.

Aldana was thrilled by the success of the symposium: “I never expected such a turnout. Guatemala has the second lowest spending on education in the Americas, the second lowest level of nutrition, and one of the world’s lowest levels of taxation, which even the IMF (International Monetary Fund) is begging them to raise. It is also the second highest exporter of babies for adoption in the world. Despite all this, there is a growing book market and interest in literacy issues.” She felt energized talking with reading promoters from all over the country, particularly with Paul Butki who runs the Rieken Foundation, an organization building 300 community libraries in Guatemala in the coming years.

The challenge in Guatemala is great—illiteracy is rampant, particularly in rural sectors where the majority of the indigenous Mayan population lives. Nevertheless, the efforts of individuals are heroic; Magdalena Pérez Raydo, an Ixil Maya whose illiterate parents encouraged her to read and not drop out of school, has established five rural libraries in Nebaj—part of the infamous Ixil Triangle that suffered deeply during the 36 year Guatemalan Civil War. “Our libraries are open only two hours daily, twice a week. We would like to have them open for longer hours, but we don’t have the funds or the trained personnel.” Though the libraries are small, with 50 to 60 books each, they offer hope in areas that have been totally forgotten. Perez Raydo is herself bilingual in Spanish and Ixil and has written a book in her native tongue to help promote literacy among her people. “One of my dreams is to purchase a library bus to visit farm children so they can have the chance to see and read books—many for the first time in their lives.”

A Stand at the Show Though adult attendance seemed to flag during the weekday hours, hundreds of Guatemalan school children came to hear storytellers—Cuenta cuentos—and to take part in workshops with musicians and artists.

Coinciding with the book fairs, over 30 writers took part in the Central American Writers Conference that was held the last weekend of the Book Fair. Participating writers included Sergio Ramirez Mercado (Nicaragua), Julio Escoto and Diana Espinal (Honduras), Rodrigo Soto (Costa Rica), and Marta Leonor González de Leon (Nicaragua).

International participants at the book fair—such as Alexander Taylor of Curbstone Press, which has published translations of dozens of Central American writers including Neustadt prize winner Claribel Alegría; Nicole Witt of the Ruy-Gude Mertin Literary Agency; and Swedish translator Yvonne Blank—met informally with writers and editors during their stay.

FILGUA will take place again in Guatemala City on August 1-10 of 2008; the Central American Book Chamber (GRUCAL) has yet to determine the site for next year’s FILCEN.

For more information, contact geditores@intelnet.net.gt or go to http://www.filgua.unlugar.com/.

David Unger, a Críticas advisory board member, was invited by FILGUA to give a talk on El libro en español en los Estados Unidos, a seminar on the sale and distribution of Spanish-language books for the U.S. market. He discussed how to take advantage of the burgeoning U.S. Spanish-language book market, focusing on the placement of Spanish-language books with booksellers, distributors, and U.S. collection development librarians, and highlighting the difficulties associated with importing Spanish-language books into the U.S. Attendees included writers, publishers, and interested guests.