The FIL of Guadalajara concludes with 819,000 visitors
The International Book Fair (FIL) of Guadalajara (Mexico) will conclude its 32nd edition today with more than 819,000 visitors who enjoyed the cultural diversity of Portugal as the guest of honor and the presence of 2,280 publishers from 47 countries.
The editorial forum, considered the largest in Latin America, brought together 750 writers for hundreds of literary activities for nine days, as well as 20 tributes and awards, including the FIL Prize for Literature in Romance Languages to the Uruguayan poet Ida Vitale.
From November 24 to December 2, FIL was the scene of the presentation of 630 books such as "The Woman with the Red Hair" by the Turkish Nobel Prize Orhan Pamuk, or "Nobody looks at us", by the Portuguese José Luis Peixoto.
Raúl Padilla, president of the fair revealed that on two occasions the fairground was at the top of capacity due to the high attendance of the public and most of the days of activities "was almost to the limit of the flow" of visitors.
This year, the committee decided to move some activities to other cultural centers with the intention of decentralizing assistance and favoring the flow of visitors.
For the night sale in which publishers offered discounts, the visit of 28,000 attendees was recorded.
The academic program brought 13,500 attendees to 450 intellectuals and thinkers, including a Nobel Prize for Chemistry, the Mexican Mario Molina, and a Nobel Prize for Physics, the American astronomer George F. Smoot.
During edition 32, the FIL opened three new literary sections, one of them called "Libros al gusto", dedicated to gastronomy books, as well as the "Writers to the ring" forum, which brought together eight new Mexican narrators, or the Encounter of black novel, that counted on the presence of the Cuban Leonardo Padura.
In the business area, 150 publishing companies from 29 countries participated, with 328 literary agents who managed to close contracts and start new negotiations.
The second edition of the Hall of comics and the graphic novel was positioned as part of the fair and achieved the assistance of 89 authors and 37 exhibiting publishers.
Manuel Júdice, Commissioner of the delegation of Portugal, explained that the main Pavilion managed to generate a cultural dialogue with 65 literary activities with the presence of Portuguese authors and the attendance of 3,500 people.
The delegation obtained the sale of 3,000 books, from authors such as José Saramago, Antonio Lobo Antunes and Fernando Pessoa.
"For us it was an honor (to be the guests) we looked for diversity in our programs and we looked for the crossing of cultures with Mexico and other countries and I think we can say that we achieved it," said Júdice.
Mexican FIL ends today with a concert by Spanish tenor Plácido Domingo, who will lead the Philharmonic Orchestra of Jalisco as it begins to prepare for the 2019 edition in which the guest country will be India.
