The event, officially backed by the government, was inaugurated by the city’s mayor, Antonio Beruff Mendieta, and closed by the Ministry of Education’s director of Culture, Dr. José María Chacón y Calvo. In spite of its ambitions, the project did not capture much attention in the media, drawing a disappointing number of visitors. It was a time to accept subjugation, not to read.

Books were a privilege for those born with financial resources; on the other hand, illiteracy was rampant throughout the country. Most Cubans could not even dream of discovering in the pages of literary works any light hidden from the poor. With the triumph of the Revolution and the elimination of chronic illiteracy, along with the creation of the National Publishing House on March 31, 1959, under the wise direction of Alejo Carpentier, books finally reached even the most remote corners of the nation.

Sixty-two years later, the Cuban Book Institute has called for celebrations today and evaluations of everything that has been done and what remains to be done in terms of publication and promotion of books in Cuba.

The path, which began with a mass run of a million copies of Don Quixote, can be seen today, with legitimate pride, in the thousands of titles and authors which fill the collections of Cuban publishing houses, because in Cuba reading is a feast for our minds and an irrevocable right of the entire population, especially children and youth.

(Taken from Granma)

On hand for the occasion, were Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, President of the Republic of Cuba; Esteban Lazo Hernández, president of the National Assembly of People’s Power and the Council of State; Alpidio Alonso, minister of Culture, and Truong Thi Mai, member of the Political Bureau and the Secretariat of the Communist Party of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam Central Committee, who is leading the Vietnamese delegation to the Fair, among other distinguished personalities.

Rodríguez reported that, despite difficult conditions created by the intensification of the brutal U.S. blockade, the celebration of literature was organized, with more than 300 intellectuals and figures of contemporary culture, exhibitors and distributors from more than 40 countries participating, and warmly greeted the delegation from Vietnam, a people to which we are united by six decades of close friendship, he noted.

More than 4,000 titles and four million copies are available at the Fair, an unmistakable sign, sent to the world, of the Cuban people’s resistance and our commitment to continue raising our cultural level, especially that of children and youth, he said.

An audiovisual was screened highlighting the contributions of the authors to whom the Fair is dedicated: the unforgettable Dr. Ana Cairo Ballester, with more than 20 books published and a life dedicated to knowledge, and Eugenio Hernández Espinosa, present at the event, and one of Cuba’s most outstanding playwrights, director of the country’s Caribbean Theatre Company and author of several classics.

Truong Thi Mai, also head of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee’s Mass Mobilization Department and president of the Vietnam-Cuba Friendship Association, on behalf of her Party and people, thanked Cuba for the special invitation, adding that it was a great honor to be in the beautiful, hospitable Havana, and that, despite the geographical distance, “Rarely do two countries in the world have such a close relationship.”

Performances by the artistic delegation from Vietnam, troubadour Eduardo Sosa, pianist José María Vitier and soprano Bárbara Llanes, enlivened the evening, before the inauguration of Vietnamese Pavilion, with President Díaz-Canel and other personalities cutting the ribbon.

(Source: Granma)

In Cuba, the fair is, above all, a popular celebration. The fortress located at the entrance to Havana Bay acquires the appearance of a camp out, providing some family fun, and a chance for teenagers to get together, a break from the routine of everyday life. Once a year, books become the center of events. They occupy a privileged space in the media. Later they come to rest in bookstore warehouses and libraries.

Nonetheless, the establishment of broad, effective cultural policies, with the participation of all players involved in the dynamics of everyday life, is imperative, to win the battle to conquer new readers, active, well informed citizens, motivated by curiosity and hunger for knowledge, endowed with a critical spirit, capable of escaping media manipulation and the seductive attraction of banality.

The means used are of little importance, although printing on paper is far from disappearing.Reading must become a habit early on, to resist mental laziness, becoming accustomed to simplistic summaries, and the fraudulent use of cut and paste. Reading encourages the search for truth, develops the ability to concentrate, and inspires creative imagination. A society of knowledge, and an adequate response to the demands of scientific innovation, cannot be conceived without those qualities.

Art and literature, undervalued by many, encourage the capacity to dream, and dreams precede the search for technical solutions. Well ahead of his time, Leonardo da Vinci designed machines that would become realities centuries later. In the 19th century, Jules Verne told adventure stories of submarines and trips to the moon that came true much later. Félix Varela warned in his Miscelánea filosófica that tastes do not develop spontaneously; they are formed in accordance with the era and through the instilling of models.

Our cultural policies must be oriented toward the revitalization of a creative climate. In this case, the productive chain has as its starting point editorial plans developed in consultation with advisory councils, and executed by true editors, in charge of revising texts and elaborating guidelines for graphic design, given the characteristics of the potential reader.I remember the wonderful Cocuyo, a series by Ambrosio Fornet, with an unmistakable, austere, design by Raúl Martínez.

In small format, they brought together the most advanced works of world literature, with forgotten pages from Cuban authors, awakening the collector’s temptation in readers.

The implementation of an editorial policy with the purpose of recovering the habit of reading requires giving due priority to bookstores, and both public and schoollibraries, to go – as a well known toothpaste ad says – where the brush doesn’t reach. Booksellers and librarians must acquire the cultural level and professional training that the performance of their duties requires. In truth, they are the promoters who work in the field, in direct contact with readers.

They must have the ability to suggest, advise, and excite.

The seller must have information about new books and knowledge of titles in the warehouse, where many times fundamental works of our culture, from days gone by and today, succumb to the dust.

To the extent we are able, without investing excessive resources, bookstores and libraries must become welcoming, well-lit places, with a place to sit and calmly leaf through the volumes at our fingertips. Let’s banish the corners where, due to lack of personnel, the books remain on shelves.

Let’s analyze ways to encourage the study of library sciences and fill vacancies in public and school libraries.Let us recall that, in schools, a good librarian assumes the role of a teacher, advising students searching for data to complete assignments, to prevent parents from doing these tasks for their children, and thus limiting the development of essential learning and thinking skills, of special importance given the continual updating of information within a society in constant transformation.I worked for ten years in a library.

And I was extraordinarily happy.

I shared the passion of initiating many in the enjoyment of reading, the visual arts, and music ,with poets Eliseo Diego, Fina García Marruz, and Cintio Vitier; researchers Juan Pérez de la Riva and Zoila Lapique; the composer Argeliers León; and art historian María Elena Jubrías. I remember with emotion Sara Fidelzeit, Pérez de la Riva’s companion, who stood duty behind the counter at the School of Letters library.

Students gathered around her in polemical study groups, their critical spirits nurtured.Welcome the Book Fair! But, once the annual celebration is over, the party must not go silent.

When the Cuban Revolution triumphed on January 1, 1959, the people of Algeria had not yet achieved their victory. “Something special unites us with Algeria,” stated our Comandante en Jefe Fidel Castro Ruz, “When we were fighting in the mountains, the Algerians were fighting in the wilayas.”

The People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria (PDRA) was the Guest Country of Honor to the 28th edition of the Havana International Book Fair (FIL) 2019. The Ambassador of the sister nation to Cuba, Mohamed Achache, described the Fair as “The most important cultural event in Cuba.”

A sample of the varied, ancient, and rich culture of Algeria could be appreciated within the framework of the event. In the Algerian Pavilion, visitors enjoyed an exhibition of 200 representative literary and intellectual works. Following the Fair, 80% of these books were donated to Cuba’s José Martí National Library.

Other events included concerts, screenings of Algerian films, conferences, lectures, and photo exhibitions that showed the heritage, history, architecture and landscape of the country.

Titles such as L’Algérie belle et rebelle: de Jugurtha à novembre, by Boualem Bessaïh, and The Golden Ass. The Metamorphoses of Apuleius, as well as reprints of the classic The Wretched of the Earth, by Frantz Fanon, and Manavais sang, by Rachid Mokhtari, were available to purchase during the literary event.

Among the Algerian films screened were: Zabana! (Algeria / France, 2012), directed by Saïd Ould-Khelifa; the drama Yema (Algeria / France, 2013), by Djamila Sahraoui; and Perfumes of Algiers (2012), from director Rachid Benhadj.

A total of 32 Algerian guests attended the Fair, led by Minister of Culture, Azzedine Mihoubi, author of the book Le Serment d’Atocha, which was also presented.

CUBA & ALGERIA: AN UNBREAKABLE FRIENDSHIP

Algeria is one of the richest countries in Africa. It has always stood out for its extremely fertile land in the coastal zone, and its main products are: cotton, palm fiber made from dwarf palm leaves, olives and tobacco. Approximately 25% of the population is engaged in agriculture and fishing, with a rich production of cereals, wheat, barley, wild oats, figs, dates, esparto and cork.

The major natural wealth of the country lies in its vast oil, gas, phosphate and iron reserves. In addition, it has coal, lead and zinc. Oil and gas represent 98% of its exports.

Algeria’s independence was declared in July 1962, and elections to the Constituent Assembly were held that same year.

The historic relations between Cuba and Algeria, initiated from the struggle for national liberation, are an example of fraternity and are maintained at the highest level. Fidel considered the help provided by Cuba to the Algerian people during their struggle for liberation as the first sign of our internationalist conscience.

Since its independence on July 5, 1962, Algeria has firmly supported Cuba in all international forums, challenging the pressures and threats from the United States. The close cooperation of both nations within the Non-Aligned Movement, and the support provided by Algeria in the fight against the U.S. economic, commercial and financial blockade, are worth noting.

After achieving independence, in September 1963, the Moroccan monarchy occupied border posts within Algerian territory and made territorial claims under threat of continuing the invasion if their demands were not met. Algeria requested Cuban collaboration to safeguard its territorial integrity.

The Cuban government responded positively to President Ben Bella’s request, and sent a vanguard of commanding officers and a force of 700 troops that traveled to Algeria on the ships Aracelio Iglesias and González Lines. Men and arms were gathered in Bedeau and quickly readied for combat.

The presence of the Specially Trained Group dissuaded the monarchy of Rabat, and a ceasefire agreement was reached. Later Morocco returned the occupied territory.

MEDICAL COOPERATION

The first Cuban medical brigade arrived in Algeria on May 24, 1963, composed of 32 doctors, four dentists, 14 nurses and eight technicians, 58 in all. The health personnel worked in different parts of the country, such as Blida, Sidi Bel Abbès, Constantine, Setif, Biskra and Algiers, and remained there for about 18 months.

Medical cooperation with Algeria has a special significance. The Revolution continued to send doctors and other collaborators to many countries of the world, but Algeria marked the beginning of this new concept of internationalist medical aid and, likewise, it is an example of Fidel’s political genius and profound humanist and solidary conscience.

As well as in health, Cuba and Algeria have collaborated in sectors such as energy, vaccine production, medical equipment supplies, new technologies, construction, education, culture, and sports.

Currently, more than 500 Cuban health specialists and technicians are providing their services in Algeria. The island has collaborated in the construction of hospitals and other health facilities, while Cuban experts will train executives of Algeria’s National Agency for Dams and Diversion, in the management of water resources. Algerian authorities also appreciate the experience of several Cuban sports coaches and technicians.

The Havana International Book Fair served as yet another opportunity to strengthen the close friendship between our two peoples, united by their love of independence and freedom.

(Granma)

The San Carlos de la Cabaña Fortress is the main venue of the Fair, but it is joined by more than ten other sites, including Pabellón Cuba, the University of Havana, Casa del Alba Cultural, the José Martí National Library, UNEAC’s headquarters, the Martí Studies Center, Casa de las Américas, and the Casa de la Poesía, just to mention a few. Thus the Cuban capital is host to a festival of literature over ten days, before touring other provinces of the country.

As well as literary and academic gatherings, book, magazine and digital presentations, the Fair will see more than 15 professional events, including colloquiums on Eduardo Heras León, the 500th anniversary of the founding of Havana, José Martí, Human Health and the Environment, and Social Sciences; in addition to meetings of historians, creators of children’s and youth literature, editors and translators, booksellers and librarians.

Likewise, the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC) will host a literary forum, while promoters of poetry and young Latin American and Caribbean writers will also meet.

At the La Cabaña Fortress, Nicolás Guillén Hall will see the presentation of the National Literature, Social Sciences, Publishing, Book Design, and Countertrend Thinking prizes, among others, and will host the “An encounter with…” space every afternoon, featuring a series of intellectual figures present at the fair.

Similarly, the “Mad Tea Party” event will take place in the Dora Alonso Hall (Pavilion K16), as well as the panel “Encounter with the Caribbean,” where publications from the region will be discussed and titles by guest authors presented.

The Digital Reading (CubaDigital Pavilion A-3) room will see presentations on the EcuRed Portable and EcuMóvil applications, as well as the panel “Digital Storytelling and Transmedia Reading,” by the University of Computer Sciences (UCI). The Editorial Futuro publishing house will present its digital products, as will the Cuban Journal of Computer Science, and the Optimize Your Web: Best Practice Manual for Website Positioning in Cuba pamphlet, produced by UCI, will be promoted.

The Professional Book Hall (Pavilion K) will welcome journalist Walter Martínez, director and host of the Dossier program, offering the lecture “Unconventional Warfare”; and the launch of the Institute of Literature and Linguistics’ Geolectal Dictionary of Cuba. Meanwhile, a panel entitled “An overview of e-book commerce in Cuba and the world” will also be held.

Among the tributes organized by the Cuban Book Institute is the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Onelio Jorge Cardoso Center, directed by Eduardo Heras León, while the same institution will also hold the Mini Short Stories Dinosaur Prize award ceremony, and present El cuentero magazine.

A total of 200 representative literary and academic texts from Algeria, this year’s Guest Country of Honor, will be exhibited, relating to its history, literature and culture, as well as a series of children’s books.

A series of conferences will also feature, on the following topics: “A Review of 20th Century Algerian Literature”; “Communication on Algerian Literature”; “Multilingualism and Translation”; and “Protection of Algerian Authors’ Rights and Literature, as a Literary Challenge in a Postcolonial World.”

Photographic exhibitions and a series of Algerian films will also be screened at the Multicine Infanta Cinema, while an artistic gala was held February 8th in the Covarrubias Hall of the National Theater, featuring a performance by the Mennai band, and a concert by the National Symphony Orchestra of Cuba conducted by Algerian maestro, Amir Kouider.

(Granma)

Edited by the Council of State Publications Office, the book was recently presented at the island’s International Book Fair in Havana, along with an accompanying multimedia CD-ROM produced by the University of Computer Sciences (UCI).

More than 500 photographs by 41 photographers, reports from 17 national, provincial and digital media, as well as poems by 20 authors are included in the book, which is distinguished by the quality of its somber design and the use of the latest graphic arts techniques.

On the editing, design and multimedia work involved, Granma spoke with part of the team responsible for putting together such a beautiful and necessary volume, a process that began on November 28, 2016.

SELECTION OF TEXTS AND NOTES

Brief notes, to accompany the photos, appear throughout the 447 pages of the book. Dr. Rosa Miriam Elizalde was responsible for the selection:

“The texts have a discreet place, they only appear to provide context or highlight an emotion, which allow the reader, whether or not he or she participated in the funeral rites, to know what official reports were generated; what those lights were like along the road; how many people bid Fidel goodbye; where Raúl Torres’ song was first heard; at what time the Caravan passed through each town; who participated in the honor guards; what was heard in Santa Ifigenia when Raul’s hands deposited the ashes of the leader of the Revolution in the niche carved into the river stone; or what Cuban and world leaders who paid tribute to Fidel expressed in Havana and Santiago de Cuba.

“The central character of this book is the people of Cuba who say goodbye to the most beloved of their contemporaries. It is not a strictly chronological compilation, but an image and memory of an earth-shattering event for the country and revolutionaries of the world.”

What criteria were assumed for the selection and curation of the texts?

The book begins on November 25, 2016, with the sad news of the death of the Comandante en Jefe, offered by Raúl to the Cuban people, and closes with the tribute ceremony in the Santa Ifigenia Cemetery, on December 4. It records what happened in that period of popular mourning and attempts to specify what happened at each hour.

How long did the compilation work take?

The edition and composition were done in a relatively short time. By the end of December we had the first mock-up, which we put together like a puzzle. The texts were adjusted to the images, not the other way around, as often happens in a testimonial work.

What significance do you think this book has in terms of history?

A poet says that we human beings “are our memory.” What is here is not that of just any event in our national life, but one marked by grief and greatness, on a date that will remain forever in the history books. The tribute by more than seven million people to Fidel brought from the bowels of the earth, as Carilda Oliver said, the love of Cubans for their leader and the enormous sadness that accompanied his death, but also the patriotism, imagination, tenderness, and generosity of our people.

Hasta siempre Fidel is very dear to the team for another reason: it reveals the talent of our journalists, without whom we would not have been able to put together this book. Almost one hundred reporters and photographers participate in a beautiful edition that will make us cry, but will make us love this country, its people and Fidel even more.

DESIGN AND PRODUCTION

Printed in a four-color process, the book has a highly polished finish. Ernesto Niebla was responsible for providing the reader an edition with such a clean design.

What was the process for the selection and composition of the images?

The process of selection and composition of the images was the result of teamwork, like everything in this book, whose primordial raw material are the tremendous snapshots captured by photographers and photojournalists of Cuban media throughout the country.

It was necessary to analyze and process a considerable volume of images and in many cases resort to their metadata to confirm their accuracy within the chronology. The basis for their selection, apart from obvious technical standards such as focus or framing, was their narrative capacity. The possibility of providing many parallel accounts related to the main experience that is the reaction to the news of the death of the Comandante en Jefe.

What design and printing techniques were used?

From the very commissioning of the task it was a premise that the book would be printed in Cuba with the best quality standards. It was a way to pay tribute to our Comandante en Jefe, who did so much for the development of the country’s printing industry. In order to enhance their technological capabilities, we worked in close dialogue with the Durero Caribe S.A. (where it was printed) and Federico Engels (where it was bound) printers.

The entire volume is printed in four-color offset, while graphic specialties are also employed on the cover, jacket and spine with the use of varnishes and relief. Paper with a suitable grammage was selected to highlight the printing of the photographic work. Special care was taken with the quality of areas of black tones, abundant in the book.

How significant do you think the design and content of this book are?

What was appropriate to the situation was to achieve a sober, transparent, dignified page. This result was achieved by working as a single person; from the initial vision of compañero Alberto Alvariño, the skill of Rosa Miriam and the dedication of Juan José Valdés. What makes this book necessary are the people who inhabit it, as it reflects their image in a unique moment of their history. Not a mournful image, but an authentic sadness that, faced with the unquestionable fact of the death of one of its most beloved children, loves, and in that gesture it is filled with hope. This is a book that we would never have wanted to make. We created it from pain, but also as a people. Thinking about history or its transcendence is too distant from Fidel’s teachings. That it be useful is more than enough.

THE MULTIMEDIA

Rislaidy Pérez Ramos, UCI deputy director of Institutional Communication, also revealed some details about the making of the accompanying multimedia CD-ROM.

“We took it on as a commitment of the entire university community and a way to pay posthumous tribute to our Comandante.

“A group of students and teachers participated in the development of the multimedia; there were just over ten people who collaborated in the different roles. Programmers, designers, scriptwriters, musical arrangers, editors, and video animators were involved, each contributing their experience.

“An in-depth study of the book was required, of all the images and of the new materials that made up the final product.”

How long did it take to put together? Did you use any specific software?

It took about a month, very intense, we even worked at night. The commitment was very big. A month that included all stages: the conception of the idea; the realization of the design; the development itself and then the extensive revision of the final details.

For the development of the multimedia, Electron technology was used, which allows the creation of desktop multiplatform applications from the JavaScript, HTML and CSS programming languages.

What new elements does the multimedia provide that the reader can not find in the book?

The multimedia is enriched with elements typical of this type of resource, which the book does not have, and which have their own language. For example, the music, a background soundtrack can be appreciated throughout the navigation of the multimedia that helps to reinforce the sentiments that the book transmits to us, and which are moving. The videos provide new content as well. All the written press materials help to gather the history experienced in those days. In general, one can interact with all the contents, move forward and backward, in a certain way travel back in time and transport oneself to those painful days, not only in images, but in texts, audios and videos.

The multimedia is divided into two menus, what can the public find in both?

The main menu, in the form of a timeline, allows you to access or browse the essence of the pages of the book, that is its photographs. The complementary menu offers information that allows us to delve into the essence and sentiment of the book.

Although you have experience with these types of materials, how necessary do you think this product is?

The book and the multimedia constitute materials that have the value of conserving the historical memory of a transcendental moment for our country. Being able to appreciate in their images the expressions full of sentiment and grief, and at the same time being able to see the messages of unity, revolutionary commitment, and hope in the future, confirm the significance of the leader for his people and the confidence in the historic continuity of the Cuban Revolution. New generations will also be able to appreciate this.

(Granma)

The image is a reference to the People’s Republic of China, guest country of honor in this latest edition of the most popular cultural event on the island.

The poster also features a message announcing that the 27th edition of the Fair will be dedicated to intellectual, National Prize for Social Sciences winner and Havana City Historian, Dr. Eusebio Leal Spengler.

Details of the event were presented during a press conference in the Pabellón Cuba venue’s Mayo Hall by Juan Rodríguez Cabrera, president of the Cuban Book Institute (ICL); Sonia Almaguer, director of the National Book Chamber; Edel Morales, director of the fair’s literary program; Yao Fei, political advisor and chargé d’affaires at the Chinese Embassy; and Mario Cremata, director of Boloña Publications.

Thus far, some 133 expositors from 31 countries have confirmed that they will be participating in the Fair, where they will be presenting alongside almost all of the island’s publishing houses. Meanwhile, over 100 authors have assured that they will also be attending the event in Havana, a figure which is expected to rise.

In addition to the Fair’s main site at the San Carlos de la Cabaña Fortress, the 2018 edition will see activities taking place across a total 22 spaces, both traditional and new, including the Fayad Jamís, Ateneo Cervantes and Alma Mater book stores, the Casa de Asia, and Chinatown.

Boloña Publications meanwhile will be responsible for printing various works by Leal, a renowned essayist and public speaker.
With the aim of strengthening cultural exchanges and cooperation between Cuba and China, an artistic delegation and the country’s most important publishing houses are set to participate in the Fair, according to Yao Fei. We hope that this edition of the Fair is one of the most outstanding and magnificent yet, he stated.

(Granma)

The limited edition, complied by Vicente González Díaz, which is also available in digital format, contains some 166 photos by eight renowned Cuban photographers of the funeral tributes paid to Fidel; including images of Havana’s José Martí Plaza de la Revolución, and the placing of the Comandante’s ashes in the Santa Ifigenia Cemetery in Santiago de Cuba.

During the closing ceremony, Juan Rodríguez Cabrera, President of the Cuban Book Institute, reported that 1,084,500 books were purchased by 1,811,629 visitors during the nine week, country-wide fair.

He also announced that the next edition will be dedicated to Havana City Historian Eusebio Leal Spengler, while the People’s Republic of China will be welcomed as guest country of honor, bringing its rich culture and arts to the island.

Regarding the results of the fair, Rodríguez Cabrera noted that 25 titles about the life and work of Fidel were presented by over ten Cuban publishers, sold-out editions of which will be re-printed following public demand, while work is also underway to release new materials on his legacy.

He went on to note that another ten works by Armando Hart Dávalos will be published following the success of texts by the Cuban intellectual and politician, to whom the most recent edition of the fair was dedicated; while over 2,500 literary events were held nationwide during the fair, which also saw the participation of a record 510 authors from 46 countries.

Regarding the efforts to organize such an event, Rodríguez Cabrera noted that despite supply problems faced by Cuban publishers, the public was able to get their hands on around four million books, between those already in circulation from the previous edition of the fair and the almost three million copies of 746 new books published this year.

Regarding short-term priorities, the Cuban official mentioned the need to stabilize the country’s printing industry, increase the use of new technologies, re-print popular works, and improve availability and accessibility to food stands in the fair’s principle venue: La Cabaña Fortress.

Meanwhile, Lázaro Expósito Canto, a member of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee and first Party secretary in the province, was presented with the Utilidad de la Virtud award during an act which saw the participation of Party Central Committee members Beatriz Johnson Urrutia, president of the provincial government; Cuban Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment Rodrigo Malmierca Díaz; and Decorated Hero of the Republic of Cuba and Vice President of the José Martí Cultural Society, René González Sehwerert.

(Granma)

Attended by Cuban Minister of Culture, Abel Prieto; Juan Rodríguez Cabrera, President of the Cuban Book Institute; and Anna Lise Domanski, second secretary at the Canadian Embassy in Havana, among other officials, the event provided a good opportunity to recall some of the highlights of the recently concluded edition; such as the book sales of over 301,500, 111,540 more than during the same period last year; and the 415,599 visitors, an increase of 25,000 as compared to a similar period in the previous edition, among other notable accomplishments. Also reaffirmed however, was the need to continue working to satisfy the demand of readers and families who attend the event every year.

In his remarks, Rodríguez Cabrera highlighted the participation of 536 representatives from 46 countries, 232 expositors, 173 authors, 48 editors, eight artists, and 75 officials, in this year’s edition of the fair, noting that guest country of honor Canada delighted the Cuban public with its culture.

He went on to mention the well-deserved tributes paid to Comandante en Jefe Fidel Castro, founder, creator and inspiration behind the Book Fair; as well as Dr. Armando Hart, committed to the most noble causes of humanity, during this 26th edition of the fair, which will now continue across the country, ending on April 16 in Santiago de Cuba.

Also presented during the closing ceremony were prizes for the best stands at the fair. The award for the best non-modular stand went to the National Lawyers Association; and the cultural project Nuestra Historia y Fidel received a special prize; while first prize for the best modular stand went to the Ediciones Unión publishing house.

(Granma)

All prize winning works are available for purchase through February 19 at the Big-tent Bookstore in Havana’s San Carlos de la Cabaña Fortress, official site of the International Book Fair, and then through the end of April, in the fairs held across the island’s 15 provincial capitals.

Prize winning books:

Grand Prize: Raúl Castro. Un hombre en Revolución, by Nikolai S. Leonov. Editorial Capitán San Luis.

“For being the book which according to its distribution figures saw the highest number of sales in the shortest time; and for being a work which reveals the life, commitment, and multifaceted personality of one of the leaders of the Cuban Revolution, seen through a friendship of more than half a century, that was cemented during a trip to Mexico with the author of the book.”

• 1984, by George Orwell. Editorial Arte y Literatura.

• La piedra de rapé, by Daniel Chavarría. Editorial José Martí.

• Lo que yace a través del mar: La verdadera historia de los Cinco cubanos, by Stephen Kimber. Editorial Nuevo Milenio.

• Hacer y deshacer el amor, selected poems by Alex Fleites. Ediciones Unión.

• La niña y el elefante, by Frei Betto. Editorial Gente Nueva.

• Las campanas de Juana la loca, by Marta Rojas. Editorial Oriente.

• El caballo de la palabra. Proverbios y enigmas africanos, by Rogelio Martínez Furé. Editorial Arte y Literatura.

• Echu-Elegguá: Equilibrio dinámico de la existencia, by Adrián de Souza. Ediciones Unión.

• La Bella Durmiente en Central Park, by Grettel Jiménez Singer. Editorial Gente Nueva.

(Granma)