We are already at the Book and Literature Fair. We are infected by the magic of the shelves full of those paper friends, especially in Maceo Park and its surroundings, the event's main venue. This time, 301 titles and more than 28,600 copies complete the spell, bringing us closer to long-awaited volumes such as The Little Prince, The Golden Age, and The Blue Coachman.
Las Tunas, Cuba.- During the opening ceremony, the excitement that these days arouse was felt. The highest authorities of the province, writers, and artists, in general, arrived there to welcome the event. The words of María Liliana Celorrio, who echoed the collective feeling, were touching: “I celebrate the writers in the first place and, therefore, the booksellers, critics, book talkers, librarians or any kind of literary ‘cannibals’."
“I celebrate those who do not think I am the best writer in the world, but those who defend a secret and certain solidarity among their fellow writers, the poets, makers of smoke signals over the chaos and the jungle. They must be defended tooth and nail, against cultural manipulators and bureaucrats. I celebrate the child writer and the one tiptoeing over the star that illuminates and kills."
In the audience, excited, were intellectuals like Maritza Batista and Ernesto Carralero Bosch, to whom the Fair is dedicated in this opportunity, besides celebrating the 95th birthday of Pablo Armando Fernández and assuming the national motivations. Doctor Félix Julio Alfonso López, one of the daughters of the author of Los niños se despiden, and some rhapsodes awarded with the Cucalambé Prize, among others, were also present.
The performances were no less flattering. Soloists and instrumentalists, actors from the puppet show Los Zahoríes and Teatro Tuyo left us with glazed eyes. Meanwhile, Dalgis Román's conduction reminded us of the essence of this cultural event.
Then, the institutions launched the program. From the wifi café La Esquina, Virtual City returned with an approach to digital literature. Tesoro de papel, dedicated to children, begins its agenda in the mornings at Maceo Park while Teatro Tuyo completes the charm with presentations at the Tunas Theater, on the afternoons of the 20th and 21st. Literary Thought, the theoretical space par excellence of the revelry, during the morning and afternoon at the Provincial Committee of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (Uneac in Spanish), approaches interesting topics such as sports in literature, the historical novel, South African culture, poetry...
New activities are born to this edition. Such is the case of Magicians, Sorcerers, and Wizards, hosted by the Jose Martí Provincial Library, a look at science fiction and fantasy literature, which teenagers and young people appreciate so much. In general, several institutions work as extensions, multiplying the magic of literature. Some of these are the Nicolás Guillén Foundation, the El Cucalambé Ibero-American House of the Tenth, the Hermanos Saíz Association (AHS) and others.
One of the special moments, for example, took place at the University of Las Tunas (Pepito Tey campus). Researcher Félix Julio arrived there to give a lecture on danzón. In the presence of teachers, students, and the Network of Popular Educators, the intellectual insisted on the importance of reading, that young people -especially- get closer to our historical and cultural roots, because “it is not good to stay with only one aspect of reality. We must know the deep essence of things. That's why I always like to say I dedicate myself to making cultural history. Read everything."
Thus, with more than 15 literary novelties by the Sanlope publishing house, and the presence of authors and representatives of other imprints in the country, this great festival began, which includes in its program readings of texts, book presentations, recitals, theoretical spaces, exhibitions, contest awards and much more. Don't miss it.
