Juan Rodríguez Cabrera has said it on more than one occasion. The 34th Havana International Book Fair is made possible by the Cuban State’s commitment to supporting the country’s largest cultural event, convinced of the importance of culture in the battle to preserve our sovereignty. In granting this interview to Granma, he reaffirms this, and assures us that “holding it under these extraordinarily difficult circumstances is a way of thinking about our people, just as its main driving force and creator, Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro, envisioned it, to whom we dedicate this Fair.
“The change of date and venue is due to decisions made to ensure the event’s success, despite the intensification of the economic, financial, and commercial blockade imposed on the island by the United States government, which now includes the oil embargo,” he explains.
The Book Fair takes place in Havana, from August 10, the day of its opening at 6:30 p.m., until the 16th of the month, after which it will continue through the rest of the provinces. Its headquarters are the Cultural Station at Línea and 18th Streets, in the Plaza de la Revolución municipality. It is dedicated to the writer and journalist Marilyn Bobes and the teacher and researcher José Bell Lara, and Russia is the Guest of Honor, Rodríguez Cabrera explains.
“It has been reduced to six days, taking into account the complexity of the current situation.” “We chose the Línea and 18th Street Cultural Station, which will be open to the public from 10:00 a.m. on the 11th until the 16th, because of its proximity to the Plaza neighborhood, a fairly busy area, and its convenient location near the satellite venues that will be operating during the Book Fair,” he explains.
— What are those satellite venues?
“This year, the Fidel Castro Center plays a major role because it will be the hub for the publishing houses of the Our History Project, which for the first time includes Nuevo Milenio, due to its connection with the tribute to Fidel and with the social sciences.”
“Other satellite venues include the José Martí Memorial, the José Martí National Library of Cuba, the Dulce María Loynaz Cultural Center, the Center for Martí Studies, Casa de las Américas, the Cuba Pavilion, the Casa del Alba Cultural Center, and the House of Poetry.”
–The Territorial Publishing System celebrates its 26th anniversary this August 13th, the same day as Fidel Castro's birthday, who created it…
–That's right, and we're going to commemorate this project with a special stand at the main headquarters, where each province will have its own publishing house. Their books, produced with tremendous effort, will be on display, and the 22 publishing houses that make up the system will have more than 350 new releases, with over 200,000 copies, which will arrive first at the International Book Fair and then in the provinces.
–In what terms can we describe the publishing output?
–The Book Fair will present more than 1,400 new titles in various formats. Titles from the People's Library Collection will be presented and sold, along with approximately two million copies on diverse topics, available nationwide. There will also be a variety of titles by and about Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro, as part of the Fair's tribute to him on his Centennial.
–What offerings does the Guest of Honor Country bring?
–The Russian Federation is presenting more than 1,500 titles showcasing the best of its classic and contemporary literature. The exhibition area is located within the fairgrounds, and there, in addition to the presentation and sale of many of these books, there will also be literary and artistic activities. The delegation is headed by Mikhail Shvydkoy, Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for International Cultural Cooperation, and includes prominent writers, translators, intellectuals, and artists from the country.
–What are the key activities of the Fair's Theoretical Program?
–The colloquia honoring Marilyn Bobes and José Bell will be held on Tuesday the 11th, in the Nicolás Guillén Hall at the main venue, and on Friday the 14th, at the Casa del Alba Cultural Center, both at 10:00 a.m. Other events include the Meeting of Literary Editors and Translators; the Colloquium on Scientific and Technical Literature; the Meeting of Young Writers from Ibero-America; and the Meeting of Poetry Promoters. The Children's and Youth Pavilion, Tesoro de Papel (Paper Treasure), will also be open at the same venue, as will the Cuba Digital Project.
“Another significant event is the presentation of the National Literature, Social Sciences, and Publishing Awards, as well as the Calendario Awards; the Carpentier Awards for Novel, Short Story, and Essay; the Nicolás Guillén Poetry Award; and the Reader's Choice and La Puerta de Papel Awards.”
–When will the Book Fair be held in the provinces?
–While we previously left a week in between events after the Havana Book Fair concluded, this year it ends on Sunday the 16th, and the following Friday, Saturday, and Sunday (21st, 22nd, and 23rd) the event will take place in the western region. In the central region, it will be held the following weekend (28th, 29th, and 30th); and in the eastern region on September 4th, 5th, and 6th, officially concluding on that final day in Santiago de Cuba.
MANY REASONS TO HONOR FIDEL ON HIS CENTENARY
–This Book Fair is dedicated to Fidel on his Centennial…
–Many tributes are being paid to the man who wanted all the people to read, the one who has done the most for reading on the Island. Parallel to the Book Fair, between August 10th and 13th, the 1st International Colloquium "Fidel: Legacy and Future" will be held, with some 1,500 participants from various countries. In that space, the book has a presence, because it will have a stand in the Convention Palace, where the event is being held, organized by the country's leadership.
"The Book Fair is dedicated to Fidel, and it couldn't be otherwise on the centenary of his birth. Every year, in each edition of the Fair, Fidel is remembered, as he is the creator of this celebration of culture and books. There are many reasons for this."
"Fidel was the one who promoted book fairs, with their massive scale, and which, as far as possible, the country has also extended to municipalities, neighborhoods, and various centers; he was the one who created the Territorial Publishing System so that any creator from anywhere in Cuba would have the opportunity to publish their work, provided it met the required quality standards."
"I believe that holding this Fair, amidst the conditions the Island is experiencing, is a clear demonstration of the interest the country has always placed in culture, even in its most difficult times."
"This is a very special moment to honor and celebrate the centenary of the man who has done the most for culture, the man who has done the most for the Cuban people, even amidst this extreme blockade. Fidel did it and continues to do it, because his example is present in this monumental effort."
"His example is present in the State’s commitment to maintaining the Book Fair. And it is present at a time when culture plays a crucial role in our people’s resistance, in maintaining our independence."
"Cuba and the world have many reasons to pay tribute to the Commander-in-Chief, who was a universal man because of his thought; because of his ideals of justice, and his belief in the spiritual growth of humankind, and who always believed that books could be a great contribution to helping people improve themselves, believe in themselves, and form their own opinions through reading and knowledge."
"For a people to resist, for a people to aspire to independence and pursue their path to freedom, in addition to material resources, they must also do so on the basis of knowledge, understanding why they are fighting, what they are battling for, where they come from, and what they want."
"This is the best way to stand with Fidel in these extremely complex times, in which we have staked everything on culture, freedom, and independence, which is what he taught us."
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