This morning, the ninth edition of the Guayaquil International Book Fair was made official at the Vicente Rocafuerte Hall of the Convention Center.
Present at the opening ceremony was the Chamber Group of the Guayaquil Municipal Philharmonic Orchestra, which, led by maestro Manuel Campos, filled the hall with music inspired by the anniversaries that the fair is celebrating this year, such as the Around the world in eighty days, by Jules Verne, the 125th anniversary of CS Lewis’s birth, the 85th anniversary of the publication of the first Superman comic.
“Many are still surprised that a cultural fair causes so much amazement, especially among young people (…). We expect 35,000 visitors,” says Ricardo Baquerizo, president of Expoplaza and one of the main organizers of this meeting. Baquerizo took the opportunity to thank the Literary Content Committee, which he described as a tireless team.
Guayaquil Book Fair, a literary encounter that endures despite all obstacles: learn all about this 2023 edition
Meanwhile, Content Committee Chairwoman Cecilia Ansaldo said it was a meeting that responded to an act of faith. “The world will always need booksin any format…books are a means of transmitting information, a way of being…,” he said, adding that the solitary act of reading leads each person to rediscover themselves.
Claudia Piñeiro was also present at this event. The Argentine author, who returns to the fair after eight years, gave a speech dedicated to the importance of promoting reading as a right.
In total, more than thirty novels registered, but there was a pre-selection of eight short novels. They unanimously declared the winner The funeralssigned with the pseudonym Emma Rahn, which belongs to Quito author Sandra Araya.
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The judges chose it as the winner because it is an exploration of the tearing apart of language about the meaning of life that accompanies the ritual of death, understood as a community experience.
They described it as a “touching family story in which the many vicissitudes of the human spirit coexist in some cases, among the lingering resentment of others, alleviated by love.”
They also described it as a language work of unique literary quality, with poetic and philosophical resonance.
“In the nine years that the FIL has existed, it is the first time that the award has been won by a woman,” said Cecilia Jurado.
More than 100 activities, including workshops, colloquia, launches, competitions and conferences, are part of this literary festival which runs until Sunday 24 September. (JO)
Source: Eluniverso
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