As a gift to the Cuban family, after two difficult years of pandemic, the 30th Havana International Book Fair is returning from April 20 to April 30, before continuing its celebration countrywide until its conclusion in the eastern city of Santiago de Cuba, in May.
The news was delivered in a press conference by Juan Rodriguez Cabrera, president of the Cuban Book Institute (ICL in Spanish) and of the Organizing Committee of the Fair. Mexico will be the Guest of Honor, for the second time, and it will be dedicated to Luis Alvarez Alvarez Alvarez, National Literature Prize, and Alberto Prieto Rozos, National Prize for Social and Humanistic Sciences and History.
In addition to its usual venue at the San Carlos de la Cabaña Fortress, also known as La Cabaña, the Historical Cap of the City will be also a venue to use its open spaces as a place to avoid crowds and to respect the sanitary measures to prevent the COVID. The fair will also return to other usual sub-venues such as the Technological Palace of Havana (Finca de los Monos) and the Rancho Boyeros Agricultural and Livestock Fair.
One of the novelties of the 30th Havana Book Fair will be that, in addition to the large bookstore located in La Cabaña, there will be a bookstore in the Almacenes San Jose Old Warehouses Cultural Center, in Havana’s Historic Cap. Another novelty is that the fair in Havana will be held simultaneously with the main event during the last four days, from April 27 to April 30, so that it can reach the neighborhoods.
Rodriguez also spoke of some of the activities prepared by Mexico in its capacity as Guest Country, such as the arrival in Havana of the Huatesco Mexican Navy ship, carrying thousands of books for the 30th Havana International Book Fair.
Daimarelys Moreno Roda, director of the Cuban Book Chamber, said that 276 participants from 32 countries have confirmed their attendance so far. She also informed that the public will have access to the fair starting on April 21.
Nancy Hernandez, deputy director of the ICL and director of the Literary Program of the event spoke of the various academic spaces that will take place such as Librarians' Meeting, Bookseller's Workshop, Meeting of Poetry Promoters, among others; the colloquiums to pay tribute to the authors to who the fair has been dedicated, and to those that will be dedicated to the celebration of the 140th anniversaries of the poem Ismaelillo, by José Martí, and the novel Cecilia Valdés, by Cirilo Villaverde; and to Carilda Oliver Labra and Jesús Indio Naborí Orta Ruiz on the 100th years of their birth, and one dedicated to the Cuba-Mexico Friendship. The Fair will also celebrate the 120th anniversary of the birth of Nicolás Guillén, Cuba’s National Poet.
She also spoke of the award ceremonies traditionally held during the fair.
Santiago Ruy Sanchez, Cultural Attaché of the Embassy of Mexico in Havana, told the press he was satisfied for the invitation as Guest of Honor and said that his country will be represented by an official delegation composed of more than 20 Mexican authors who show the different faces of the sister nation will arrive in Havana in April. Moreover, he spoke of the books his country will donate to Cuba and the large Mexican representation will participate in the event as part of the cultural exchange taking place in the fair.
Translated by ESTI
