International Book Fair Begins to Travel throughout Cuba

The 29th International Book Fair (IBF) concludes this Sunday in Havana with dance, music and theater shows, in addition to the usual sales of volumes.

In the most significant event of the Cuban publishing movement, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam stood out as a Guest of Honor Country, which took advantage of the event to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations with Cuba.

Some 300 guests from over 40 countries participated in the different activities of the IBF that in its 29th edition paid tribute to the research work of the essayist Ana Cairo, National Prize for Social and Humanistic Sciences, and the legacy of playwright Eugenio Hernandez, deserving of the National Theater Award in 2005.

The countries with the greatest representation were Spain, Mexico, Peru, and for the first time, Guatemala joined as an exhibitor.

Even to the Fortress San Carlos de La Cabaña, the main headquarters of the event in Havana, came Argentina’s Vice President Cristina Fernandez to present her book ‘Sinceramente’ (Sincerely), considered a bestseller for less than a year of publication for the first time outside her country.

Cuba’s President Miguel Diaz-Canel and other governmental authorities attended the presentation of the vice president, the first woman to become president in Argentina and a mother of two children submitted to a persistent media, political and judicial persecution.

As part of the IBF days, there was bestowed the National Prizes for Literature, Design Edition, History, the poetry laureate Nicolas Guillen and the novel, short story and essay Alejo Carpentier, among others.

The 29th edition also celebrated the centenary of the birth of Cuban writer, poet and essayist Eliseo Diego, the 25th anniversary of the Fernando Ortiz Foundation and the 80th birthday of Miguel Barnet, honorary president of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC).

In general, the event will end on April 12, in the eastern city of Santiago de Cuba, after having extended it to most of the country’s provinces, with the forecast of offering over 4,000 titles throughout the country and over four million books.