Eighteen Exceptional Personalities Will Lend Their Names and Presence to This Year’s Book Fair

Eighteen Exceptional Personalities Will Lend Their Names and Presence to This Year’s Book Fair
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic March 4, 2011

A total of 18 important personalities connected to the cultural scene will be honored at this year’s XIV Santo Domingo International Book Fair 2011.

The dedication of days and names of streets to these people constitutes one of the major contributions of this fabulous cultural event that is taking place in the Juan Pablo Duarte Culture Plaza., ….

The event, to be held from May 4-22, will pay homage to a select group of narrators, poets, journalists, Catholic writers, essayists, writers of children’s books, academics, researchers and specialists in cultural heritage. The homage serves to highlight, for the ninth time as has been the tradition in the recent seven years, and recognize Dominican intellectuals living in the Diaspora in the United States.

The dedication of days and names of streets to these people constitutes one of the major contributions of this fabulous cultural event that is taking place in the Juan Pablo Duarte Culture Plaza. In addition, an honored guest from the Holy Vatican will attend and offer a special dedication to Monsignor Francisco J. Arnaiz and Father José Luis Sáez.

On Thursday May 5th, the first day of the Book Fair, essayist Federico Henríquez Grateraux, will be honored. On Friday, May 6th, the honored guest will be journalist and writer, Víctor Grimaldi.

Poet and novelist Juan Carlos Mieses will be honored on Saturday, May 7th; essayist and US resident, Diógenes Abreu on Sunday May 8th and journalist Miguel Franjul on Monday May 9th.

Monsignor Ramón Benito de la Rosa y Carpio, Archbishop of the Diocese of Santiago de los Caballeros and author of several books, will receive his recognition on Tuesday May 10th, followed by children’s book author, Lucía Amelia Cabral who will be honored on Wednesday May 11th.

The following writers will be honored throughout the week: On Thursday, the 12th, editor and Catholic writer, Monsignor Rafael Bello Peguero; Friday, 13th, Santiago native and poet Fernando Cabrera; Saturday the 14th, academic and researcher Irene Pérez Guerra and on Sunday, May 15th, essayist Manuel Núñez.

Well-known narrator Manuel García Cartagena will be honored on Monday the 16th followed on Tuesday the 17th by children’s author and educator, Margarita Luciano de Sang; Wednesday the 18th, poet, essayist and narrator Miguel Aníbal Perdomo who resides in New York.

The poet and editor León Félix Batista will receive his homage on Thursday May 19; narrator Marino Beriguete, on Friday the 20th; poet Adrián Javier, on Saturday the 21st, and on Sunday, the closing day of the Fair, architect and specialist in cultural heritage, Eugenio Pérez Montás, will be honored.

Each one of these artists will have a street at the fairgrounds named after him or her. The street name will remain as such until next year’s International Book Fair of 2012.

Prior to this event, the writings and other work of these honored guests are being studied by college, high school and university students as well as by participants in literary workshops. Throughout the day of the dedication, there will also be colloquiums, conversations and conferences on the literary contributions made by those writers who are being honored. Special activities are being held at the Bohemian Café and the Book-Kitchen Pavilion.

In addition to these activities, the Book Fair will dedicate specific areas to certain figures in the arts and literature:
-Shows and performances will be going on this year at the Arena Luisito Martí Theater theater, named after the late comedic actor.

-The Book-Kitchen Pavilion will honor the great culinary artist Esperanza Lithgow de Ceara.

-The main hall of the Ministry of Culture’s Pavilion will pay homage to the San Pedro de Macoris native and writer, Héctor Amarante.

-And there will be special honors paid to Freddy Beras Goico, using images, books and documentaries about this beloved comedian, TV presenter, writer and media personality who died last year.


Mons. Ramón Benito de la Rosa y Carpio.



Federico Henríquez Grateraux.


León Félix Batista.