FILRD2014 will bring together the greatest literary figures of the Dominican Republic and Latin America

FILRD2014 will bring together the greatest literary figures of the Dominican Republic and Latin America
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, 04/23/2014

Hundreds of publishers and writers, both domestic and foreign, will participate this Thursday, April 24th, in the International Book Fair Santo Domingo 2014 (FILRD2014), which will close on May 5th.

The FILRD2014 is dedicated to Dominican poet Domingo Moreno Jimenes and its guest country of honor is Panama. Panama has promised that a large delegation of artists and writers will participate in this cultural event, which will take place in the Plaza de la Cultura Juan Pablo Duarte, located in the center of the Dominican capital.

The schedule of the fair was announced on Tuesday, at a press conference that took place in the “Bar Juan Lockward” of the National Theatre. The announcement was made by the Minister of Culture, José Antonio Rodríguez, who was accompanied by Valentine Amaro, Director General of the Book and Reading and Pedro Antonio Valdez, Executive Director of the FIL.

In his keynote speech, the Minister of Culture said that, as it has been the case with Education, supporting Culture is a commitment of the administration of President Danilo Medina Sánchez.

Rodríguez urged people to atted the literary event with the same enthusiasm as in previous years, to pay tribute to the men and women who, through their books, have shared their intelligence, concerns, worries and research.

He said that a suitable environment has been created to welcome the Dominican families who wish to visit the Plaza de la Cultura during the course of the FILRD2014, providing it with adequate security and delivering essential services, areas for children and food courts, among others.

“This fair will offer good deals on books”, Rodríguez said, noting that the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Education will provide a book voucher with which the recipients may acquire literary works in a bookstore that will be set aside for this purpose.

Rodríguez announced that during the opening ceremony, which will be attended by President Danilo Medina, the second edition of the Pedro Henríquez Ureña International Award will be presented to intellectuals Ernesto Cardenal of Nicaragua, and Eduardo Galeano of Uruguay.

He expressed appreciation at the fact that Cuban singer Pablo Milanes has accepted to offer a concert, like his compatriot Carlos Varela.

HUNDREDS OF ACTIVITIES WILL TAKE PLACE IN ELEVEN DAYS

In this regard, Valentín Amaro, Director General of Books and Reading, presented the FILRD2014 program, containing twelve hundred literary and cultural activities.
Among the works to be presented during the fair are: “Alfabeto de agua (Water alphabet)”, a collection of poetry by Martha Rivera; “La manía de narrar, cuentos reunidos (The habit of narrating, collected stories)”, by Ephraim Castillo; “Sin ovejas que contar (Without sheeps to count)”, by Adrian Javier; “Coloquios 2013”, “Arraiga”, by Argénida Romero, 2013 Youth Poetry Award; “Número para los Gutiérrez y otros cuentos premiados (Number for the Gutierrez’s and other award-winning stories)”, AAVV and 2013 Youth Story Prize.

Also, “Libro especial (Special book)” and “Poema de la hija reintegrada (Poem of the returned daughter)”, by Domingo Moreno Jimenes; “Enigma Alicia”, by Armando Almánzar Rodríguez; “Sospecha colectiva (Collective suspicion)” Anthology of the Santo Domingo Storytellers Workshop; “Inocente mariposa (Innocent Butterfly)”, by Eduardo Díaz Guerra; “El domador de fieras y otros nanorelatos (The beast tamer and other mini stories)” (Minifiction Award), by Nan Chevalier; “Material inflamable, 30 poetas dominicanos del siglo XXI, Selección e introducción (Flammable Material, 30 Dominican poets of the 21st century, Selection and introduction)”, by Luis Reynaldo Pérez; “Una Centuria tocando acordeón: de Ñico Lora a Tatico Henríquez y Pedro Carreras Aguilera (A Century playing the accordion: from Ñico Lora to Tatico Henríquez and Pedro Carreras Aguilera)”.

In addition, “El sapito azul y el misterio sonoro (The blue toad and the resounding mystery)”, by César Sánchez Beras, 2013 Letras de Ultramar Award, in the children’s literature genre; “Ascenso y caída de Andresito Reyna (Rise and Fall of Andresito Reyna)”, by Frank Disla, 2013 Letras de Ultramar Award in the theater genre; “Sin haitianidad no hay dominicanidad: cartografía de una identidad que se bifurca (Without Haitian identity there is no Dominican identity: Mapping of an identity that branches off)”, by Diógenes Abréu, 2013 Letras de Ultramar Award in the essay genre; “Entre fluidos y manchas (Among fluids and stains)”, by Erika Bueno; “Voces de caña y mar, relatos y poemas del Certamen para Talleres Literarios Región Este (Voices of sugar cane and sea, stories and poems from the Contest of Literary Workshops for the Eastern Region)”; “Diversidad e identidad en República Dominicana (Diversity and identity in the Dominican Republic)”, by Celsa Albert Batista (essay), with the Catholic University of Santo Domingo.

And “Voces de cal (Voices of lime)” Anthology from the Francis Livio Grullón Literary Workshop (Tenares) with the OEI; “Cuentos infantiles del Caribe (Caribbean Children’s Stories)”, “Dienteleche” collection; “Shortstop” Anthology of mini stories about baseball, with Letra Negra from Guatemala; “Los Libros Más Pequeños del Mundo (The Smaller Books in the World)” from Peru; “Muestra narrativa del Taller Literario Los Nadie, con El Mundo de los Minilibros (Narrative exhibition from The Nobody Literary Workshop, with the World of Mini Books)”; and, “Compendium of epigrams”, by Frank Martínez, with Letra Negra from Guatemala, among others.

The slogan of the 17th edition of the FIL is “Leer es nacer (To read is to be born)”. 400 international publishers and 270 institutions connected to the world of books will participate in it. In addition, 600 Dominican authors will be presenting their books and giving lectures, recitals, and participating in panels, conferences and other activities.

Among the personalities of the literary and cultural worlds who have already confirmed their attendance to the 17th FIL are: Ernesto Cardenal (Nicaragua), 2012 Ibero-American Poetry Prize Queen Sofia; Eduardo Lalo (Puerto Rico), 2013 Rómulo Gallegos Award for Fiction; Daniel Mordzinski (Argentina), renowned photographer of writers; Jerry W. Carlson (USA), an independent researcher and expert in Latin American film.

Also, Lina Meruane (2012 Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz Award); Ana Lidia Vega Serova (Dador Award for her book Imperio Doméstico); Elmer Mendoza (Mexico), 2007 Tusquets de Novela Award, for Balas de Plata (Silver Bullets); Emerio Medina (Cuba), 2009 Award Julio Cortazar Ibero-American Short Stories Competition, and 2010 Casa de las Américas Award; and Marcelo di Marco (Argentina), storyteller and creative writing instructor.

In addition, Carlos Wynter, recognized as one of the most distinguished young writers in Latin America; Rafael Courtoisie, José Lesema Lima International Poetry Award; and, from the sister Republic of Panama, Consuelo Tomás and Javier Alvarado.

Likewise, eleven Dominican writers will be recognized in the traditional dedication of the streets of the fairgrounds. They are: Lucitania Francisca Martínez Jiménez, Frank Báez, Carlos Esteban Deivi, Tomás Castro Burdiéz, José Miguel Soto Jiménez, Tony Raful, Miguel de Camps Jiménez, Eleanor Grimaldi Silié, Enegildo Peña, Medar Serrata and José Rafael Dunker.

For this edition of the FIL new pavilions will be installed. Among them: Coexistence, Dedé Mirabal, “Quisqueya Aprende Contigo (Quisqueya Learns With You)”, literary workshops and Bohemian Café.