Headlines, Latin America & the Caribbean

MEXICO: Massive Turnout at Fair Shows Interest in Books Is Alive and Well

Diego Cevallos

MEXICO CITY, Dec 5 2005 (IPS) - The belief that people in Mexico do not read much may have to be revisited, said literary critic Carmen Vargas, who declared that she was greatly impressed by the size of the Guadalajara International Book Fair that ended Sunday with the participation of 1,614 publishing houses from 39 countries and just under 500,000 visitors.

“The research studies should be re-evaluated, because the success of the Fair would seem to indicate that there is a lively interest in reading, and in books, in Mexico,” Vargas told IPS during the nine-day fair in the central Mexican city of Guadalajara.

The 19th edition of the International Book Fair (FIL) offered book launches, lectures, film festivals, traditional cuisine and international conferences and seminars on architecture, social sciences, journalism, short stories and even international business. In addition, several literary awards were granted during the fair.

Organised by the University of Guadalajara, the fair is the biggest Spanish-language event of its kind, and the largest market in the world for publications in Spanish.

Thousands of writers, editors, publishing agents, literacy instructors, translators, distributors and librarians attend the fair, which is housed in a 26,000-square-metre exhibition area.

Following a tradition that began in 1993, the FIL chooses a different Spanish-speaking country or region every year as the main focus. This year was Peru’s turn, and several writers and artists from that country took part in the fair, which also offered a special exhibit on Peruvian literature and culture.

Vargas, who works at several Mexican universities, remarked that the success of the FIL and other fairs would appear to demonstrate that there are many more readers and far more interest in literature in this Latin American country of 104 million than is presently supposed.

According to studies, Mexicans read less than one book per person a year on average.

A study carried out by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) showed that less than one percent of 15-year-old students in Mexico were able to adequately answer questions that require sophisticated reading skills.

Nevertheless, nearly 100,000 young people visit the FIL every year. They also flock to other events, like the International Book Fair for Children and Youth, which takes place in the Mexican capital every November and draws an average of 300,000 visitors a year.

A total of 443,917 visitors attended the FIL in 2003, 457,767 in 2004, and 494,388 this year.

“Mexico’s book fairs are good business for the publishing market, as proven by the FIL and other events,” commented businessman Matías Zapata.

The size of the audiences at FIL readings and lectures offered by renowned authors like Peru’s Mario Vargas Llosa and U.S. Nobel Literature prize-winner Toni Morrison far surpassed the organisers’ expectations this year, with overflow crowds.

Also taking part in the FIL were British best-selling author Martin Amis, Alessandro Baricco and Claudio Magris from Italy, Goran Petrovic from Serbia, Fernando Savater from Spain, and Alfredo Bryce Echenique from Peru.

They were joined by a host of writers, mainly from Latin America, who are less well-known internationally, although many have achieved a certain degree of success in their own countries.

The International Book Fair, which took place for the first time in 1987, is “the most important event in the world for Spanish-language books,” said FIL director Nubia Macías.

“We want the quality to keep on improving. As that occurs, people concerned with books in other languages will think more about the Spanish language, and they will come to Guadalajara to exchange views and experiences,” she said, referring to the groups of writers in other languages who visit and take part in the fair.

During the FIL, the participating writers gave talks about their work, and took part in debates and discussions on the health of Spanish-language literature, and current trends and tendencies.