Liberation and Literacy at the La Paz Book Fair

by David Unger -- Críticas, 9/15/2006

Bolivian president Evo Morales inaugurated the XI edition of the Feria Internacional del Libro (FIL) La Paz (La Paz International Book Fair) by saying that the fair “should not only promote reading, but also lead in the struggle for the ideological and political liberation of the people.”The book fair, which ran from August 11–20, grew from 117 stands in 2005 to 136 stands in 2006. A record 53,000 people came to buy books and hear the more than 50 writers who took part in panels and readings in the crowded fairgrounds. According to Ana Patricia Navarro, the administrative director of the Bolivian Book Chamber, “plans are afoot to build an annex by 2007 for readings and conferences, which would open up an additional 600 meters of exhibition space.”

Entrance to the fairgrounds

In a bizarre “novelistic” development, Venezuela decided to withdraw as Guest of Honor on the second day of the fair while criticizing fair sponsors for “commercializing books.” Ramón Madero, the president of the Autonomous National Venezuelan Book Institute defended his decision by saying that “books are not products. We believe they are cultural tools, an instrument for the struggle and liberation of the people.” Instead, Venezuelan publishers, which included the Biblioteca Ayacucho and Monte Ávila Editores, took part in “alternative book fairs” on the streets of La Paz and in the Aymara town of El Alto, which is dominated by book pirates selling Xerox copies of published books at reduced prices. The Venezuelans publishers gave away nearly 25,000 books, many of which were taken by the book pirates and resold in other parts of the city.

U.S. & Venezuela stands side-by-side

Still, the turnout at La Paz was impressive, especially given the domestic book industry’s endemic problems. “Bolivia is the South American country with the fewest number of readers,” complained Vice Cultural Minister Edgar Arandia Quiroga during a presentation. Another problem is that Bolivia has no law to regulate the import, export, and sale of books. Furthermore, imported books incur very high duties, thus reducing the number of books available from neighboring Argentina and Chile. Perhaps the biggest deterrent for publishers is book piracy; books are usually immediately photocopied upon publication. One Bolivian publisher, Eduardo Pérez Hidalgo of Global Educación however, has addressed the problem by mass producing inexpensive versions of his hardcover books. Despite the minor mark-up, book pirates buy the paperbacks directly from him, thus in effect becoming his unofficial sales force.

Stand view

Bolivia Books director Rosario Santos lived in the United States for 43 years before returning to La Paz last year. She was in charge of the Literature Program at the Americas Society and was a program officer of the Institute of International Education. Santos also edited The Fat Man From La Paz (Seven Stories, 2000), an important anthology of short stories by Bolivian authors. She is now the leading exporter of adult Bolivian fiction and nonfiction titles into the United States, working primarily with Lectorum and Latin American Bookstore in Ithaca, NY. “With the election of Evo Morales and discussions regarding the nationalization of the natural gas industry, there’s even greater interest in all things Bolivian,” she said. “Edmundo Paz Soldán is of course well known in the States, but there are other writers like Manuel Vargas, Juan Claudio Lechín and Erika Bruzonic who deserve greater recognition.”

Escaparate Cultural stand

The highlight of the fair was the reading by Chilean Raúl Zurita, winner of the Premio Nacional de Literatura (National Prize in Literature) in 2000. Best known in this country for skywriting poems over New York City in 1982 and for his poems and self-mutilations in protest of the Pinochet junta, Zurita gave three electrifying readings with fellow Chilean Carmen Berenger and Mexican Diana Rivera. Also reading was Chilean Carla Guelfenbein, whose Mujer de mi Vida (Woman of My Life, Alfaguara) has been sold into 13 languages. Bolivian Miguel Vargas presented his recently published Nocturno paceño, (Night in La Paz, Correveidile) a series of inter-related stories that can be read as a novel. It follows several university students during the seven year Hugo Banzer dictatorship of the 1970s. “I wanted to write a book that would be neither mournful nor a protest, but would focus on the political and amorous adventures and misadventures of students,” he said.

Manuel Vargas and Edgar Arandia Quiroga, Vice Minister of Culture

According to Navarro, about five Bolivian publishers will be at the Guadalajara International Book Fair this November to sell rights and negotiate distribution agreements. “Last year in Guadalajara, we noticed that U.S. librarians were very interested in Bolivian literature and art books,” explained Navarro. “[They want] to meet the needs of the growing Bolivian population scattered throughout the United States. We also expect interest in books addressing the present political situation.”

The 12^th FIL La Paz is scheduled for mid-August, 2007.

David Unger, a Críticas advisory board member, was a guest of the Bolivian Book Chamber. He met with publishers and distributors to discuss ways to increase book sales in the United States.