From this Tuesday, Colombian books and readers will meet again in the country’s capital XXXIV. Bogota International Book Fair (FILBo), that comes back from personally after two years of pandemic and with South Korea as guest of honour.
The Library of the Arts is celebrating Book Day with a six-day mixed day
From April 19 to May 2, a delegation from More than a hundred South Korean writers, editors, artists and academics will be in Bogotá with a call for coexistence as a central theme of FILBo.
This edition of the fair is themed “Come back so you can come back”, regarding the virtual format that the book festival has had to adopt during the health crisis.
Around 500 guests from 30 countries meet at FILBo, which, in addition to the editorial and commercial exhibition, includes more than 1,600 face-to-face events at the Corferias venue and a hundred activities in other areas of the Colombian capital.
“For this edition, we have international guests again after lockdown, which allows us to strengthen the publishing industry in this way.”detailed Andres Lopez Valderrama, Manager of Corferias.
Return face to face
The last two editions of FILBo have been held virtually, with more than 123,000 people connected in 2020 and last year reaching 1,805,000 people over 17 days of the fair, numbers expected to regain momentum with the return to in-person activities.
According to the CEO of Colombian Book Chamber, Emiro Aristizábal, in this issue of FILBo They hope to “repeat the numbers from 2019,” the last year before the pandemic, and have “600,000 people gather around the book” in Bogotá.
Therefore, almost 400 exhibitors, including publishers, dealers and booksellers, have prepared their catalogs to be exhibited during the 14 days of the fair, while attendees can meet their favorite authors in talks, workshops and book signings.
International participation
Eun Heek Yung.Arriving in Bogotá from South Korea Eun Heekyung, author of The Bird’s Gift; She-Jeong Jeong (the good son); Kim Kyung-uk (The hour between dog and wolf); Suzy Lee (The wave, my painting workshop); Kim Hyeon (In the subway), Yes Han Kang | (The vegetarian), among other.
FILBo’s invitation this year also coincides with the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Colombia and South Korea.
The Romanian writer stands out among the international guests Mircea Cartarescuwho will discuss writing, dreams and reality with the Colombian writer Santiago Gamboa in the series “Conversations that will change your life.”
In the same series of dialogues the Colombian writer Piedad Bonnett and the Brazilian Thiago Ferro they will talk about the pain of loss in literature; while the Spaniard JJ Benítez, author of the saga Troy horseHe will speak to his biographer Antonio Erazo.
The Argentine actress and author will also be there Camila Sosa and the Peruvian author Gabrielle Wiener in a colloquium on literature and theater. The Chilean will also be present within the Latin American panorama Isabel Allende, who are taking part in the Bogotá Book Festival for the first time with a conversation with the journalist Claudia Morales.
FILBo will also dedicate several activities to the Truth Commission charged with preparing the report on the causes and origins of the armed conflict in Colombia, on which there will be conferences and colloquia. (I)