Guatemala Book Fair survives despite adversity

this Guatemala International Book Fair (Filgua) is surviving despite adversity in the Central American country against it, including a legal battle against the Chamber of Industry by business leaders trying to suspend the event this year.

The 19th edition of the literary convention kicked off last Thursday, and as the organizers warned, there are many obstacles to organizing the fair.

“The Chamber of Industry wants to take the name Filgua away from the publishers. There is wear and the brand issue continues to be resolved,” he said. Diana Lopezpresident of the Guatemalan Publishers Association (AGEG), the organizer of the event.

According to the publishers’ association, the legal dispute stems from 2018, when the business association tried to seize the rights to the fair’s trademark.

Adding that the legal dispute is still waiting to be resolved, López added, “The commitment of Guatemalan publishers will always be to celebrate the Book Fair under a different name, but with the same quality and scope.” said.

Filgua, which started last Thursday amid the challenges, will continue until December 4, expecting around 75,000 visitors.

The fair is held at a venue for events west of Guatemala City, 300 planned cultural eventsIncluding 119 book presentations and interventions by 10 authors from countries such as Mexico, Honduras, Spain, South Korea, Belgium and El Salvador.

The organization has ensured that it takes one year to manage government funds to bring about an event of this magnitude due to bureaucratic processes and uncertainty. This is because in 2021 broadcasters asked Congress to allocate a budget for the fair, which required dozens of administrative actions from the Ministry of Culture and Sports to deliver funds to broadcasters.

Originally the fair was to be held in the middle of this year but was postponed to these dates due to the Government being late in paying the funds.

literary diversity

mexican writer Maria Santaolalla will present his novel Sometimes I wake up shakingIt explores how members of the Guatemalan armed forces were trained to kill indigenous peoples during the General’s dictatorship. Efrain Rios Montt (1982-1983).

Hosting South Korea as the guest of honor to celebrate the 50th anniversary of its diplomatic relationship with Guatemala this year, Filgua holds events commemorating the literary culture of the Asian country for 10 days.

“For us, the International Book Fair in Guatemala represents an important meeting with our readers,” he explained. Carmen Lucia AlvaradoHe is a member of the independent publishing house Catafixia, which takes part in this event every year since 2012.

The fair, which has been held since 2000, has been held virtually for the last two years due to the pandemic. According to the Publishers Association, the event is a commitment made as a result of the signing of the Peace Accords in Guatemala in 1996, after 36 years of bloody internal armed conflict.

Source: Efe

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