Make Guadalajara a Priority

by Aída Bardales -- Críticas, 12/15/2007

For those of us immersed in the world of Spanish-language books, regardless of which market we serve or where we are based, FIL is definitely the place to be. For U.S. book buyers in particular, it’s of interest because there you can get your hands on books that have not yet made it to the United States; for editors, it’s a place to meet authors, familiarize oneself with what is working in the rest of the Spanish-speaking book world, find out who are the popular/best-selling/up-and-coming authors, learn what literary agents have in store, etc. It’s been a few weeks already since this year’s Guadalajara Book Fair wrapped up and there’s a question still lingering in my head: Why is it that year after year book professionals at FIL always have to wonder why the (obvious) U.S. editors aren’t there?

This year, as always, there were many first-timers at FIL. New Directions’ Barbara Epler and Ecco’s Dan Halpern, for example, were two of many U.S. book professionals there. Neither speaks Spanish, which definitely hampered Halpern’s experience, but both know books and understand the importance of Latin American and Spanish literature (and have published many translations). Their visits were mostly due to a desire to witness first hand what the fair is all about. Epler’s view was a practical one: “The Europeans go, and they have to make a 24-hour jet-lagging awful schlep, it is so much easier from New York City.”

The advantage editors such as Epler and Halpern have is that because of the years they have in the business, they already know most of the key people they need to know. “I see so many of these people when they come to New York,” Halpern told me, “that I’m thinking I don’t really even need to go to Frankfurt [and FIL].” Maybe he’s right, but for the Spanish-language editors in the United States that don’t have the years of experience and established relationships with important agents and publishers, FIL is essential.

I was very disappointed this year to see that, once again, the major U.S. houses that publish Spanish-language books sent no one to the most important book fair in the Spanish-language book world, and probably the largest after Frankfurt. I don’t get it. I presume they do not get just how beneficial and crucial to their job—and to the quality of works they could be publishing—it is to network at FIL, meet the movers and shakers of the “foreign” book world, talk to authors, explore the possibility of joint ventures, nurture already established relationships, and actively be a part of this “family” of book professionals. Or, perhaps, it is simpler than that. Maybe they’re simply not interested in looking outside their normal channels or already getting “good enough” material.

If I had it my way, all book editors working on Spanish-language books would make it to FIL every year, including editors of translations from Spanish and even those simply interested in familiarizing themselves with current Latin American and Spanish book trends. It’s one of the best ways to stay abreast of what is going on in the book market outside of the United States. It’s also a way for book professionals outside of the United States to get to know you, learn your preferences, show you their next big projects first, and send you their best book proposals.  

Colegas, if you want to provide the U.S. Spanish-speaking market with creative works of fiction and nonfiction—and not just another translation of what’s working in English—I urge you to make it a priority to start going to the most important Spanish-language book fair.

¡Felices fiestas!
Happy holidays!

Aída Bardales
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