The Guadalajara International Book Fair (FIL) is considered the most important Spanish-speaking literary event in the world. The last edition welcomed more than 800,000 visitors and 2,417 publishers from 49 countries. Apart from the commercial aspect, the Fair also boasts a substantial cultural programme that for nine days fills the Mexican city with music, art, film and theatre. This year, the following illustrators and authors from Catalonia and the Balearic Islands are taking part in the FIL: Gusti, Anna Llenas, Albert Asensio, Petra Pericàs, Jordi Sierra i Fabra and Care Santos. They will all play a prominent role in the numerous activities programmed by the Fair, such as talks, workshops and presentations.
The guest of honour of this edition is the European Union. Within this framework, the Institut Ramon Llull will be taking part in the official programme of the Fair through the ENLIT (European Network for Literary Translation), which has organised a series of sessions aimed at disseminating translation grant programmes in various EU countries, such as those promoted by the IRL. The aim is to raise awareness of the work of translators and the important role they play in disseminating the world’s different literary voices. Accordingly, on Monday 27 and Wednesday 29 November, the IRL, together with representatives of other institutions such as Flanders Literature, the Polish Book Institute and Literature Ireland, will participate in four sessions focused on translation support programmes and public policies, and on the promotion of literary works from lesser-known European countries.
Meanwhile, Catalonia will once again have an institutional stand at the Fair, organised by the Ministry of Culture through the Catalan Institute for Cultural Companies (ICEC), under its brand for internationalisation: Catalan Arts. The main goal of this collective space is to foster the professional activity of companies and other stakeholders in the book sector in Catalonia, enabling them to showcase the variety and vitality of the Catalan publishing industry while offering an overall image of the sector to Latin American professionals. In this respect, the Institut Ramon Llull will hold meetings with around 30 Latin American publishers and other international cultural stakeholders.
At 12.30 pm on 27 November, coinciding with the start of the FIL professional conference, the Minister of Culture, Natàlia Garriga, will be available to the media at the Catalonia stand. A little later, at 2 pm, Garriga will host a welcome reception at the stand, which will be attended by the director of the FIL, Marisol Schulz; the head of the Delegation of the Government of Catalonia to Mexico and Central America, Lleïr Daban; the director of the Catalan Institute for Cultural Enterprises, Edgar Garcia; the president of the Publishers’ Guild of Catalonia, Patrici Tixis; and the director of the Literature Area of the Institut Ramon Llull, Joan de Solà, among others.
Catalan publishing groups have had a major and constant presence at the Guadalajara International Book Fair ever since its inception, reaping the rewards of the work carried out over the years by writers, literary agents and publishers in Mexico. More than 40 Catalan publishers will participate in this year’s event.
