Dominican Commissioner of Culture Supports the 9th International Book Fair in Lawrence

Dominican Commissioner of Culture Supports the 9th International Book Fair in Lawrence
New York, October 20, 2014

As part of its commitment to support book fairs where Dominican books play a leading role, the Office of the Dominican Commissioner of Culture in the United States sponsored and participated as a special guest in the 9th International Book Fair in Lawrence, Massachusetts, organized by Rev. Joel Armonó and a team of cultural activists of that city.

“We are proud to support such a prominent and important event for the Dominican cultural community living in Lawrence”, said Mr. Carlos Sánchez, Dominican Commissioner of Culture in the United States. “Every year, the organizers of this fair, place Dominican writers and their works in a privileged position, which is the reason why they have always had our support,” he said.

The opening ceremony was held the evening of Friday, October 16th, with the following public figures also participating as special guests: Poet Mateo Morrison, National Literary Award, and Mr. Roberto Santana, former Rector of the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo, who on Saturday afternoon offered a keynote speech on the scope of judgment 168-13, by the Constitutional Court of the Dominican Republic.

The opening program featured the presentation of diablos cojuelos, dressed in the classic carnival costumes of Santo Domingo, Santiago and La Vega, who filled the stage with color and joy; a performance by a women’s choir that sang five songs with great spiritual content; and, the unveiling, by the Colombian Consul in Boston, Mónica Pinzón Bueno, of oil paintings by Colombian writer Gabriel García Márquez.

The fair was dedicated to poet Tony Raful, National Literary Award, who received a proclamation from the Mayor of the city, Dany Rivera, whose father is Dominican and who took the time to pledge the delivery of two buildings so that the fair has a permanent seat.

The Office of the Dominican Commissioner of Culture, headed by Mr. Carlos Sánchez, participated with the exhibition and sale of Dominican books, and showed to the public the Commissioner’s Editions Collection: Cadáveres para el tiempo, a collection of poems in prose by Jimmy Valdez; Antropología de las Ideas, a book of essays by Esteban Torres; La flama magna, a book of essays by Jochy Herrera; and El sueño de un gran marinero, a children’s fairy tale by César Sánchez Beras. In addition, the winning works of the Letras de Ultramar Award: Sin haitianidad no hay dominicanidad, by Diógenes Abreu; Ascenso y Caída de Andresito Reyna, by Frank Disla, and Sapito Azul y el misterio sonoro, by César Sánchez Beras.

Benjamín García, Coordinator of the Department of Community Liaisons in the Office of the Dominican Commissioner of Culture, took advantage of the event to establish contacts with members of the Dominican artistic and cultural communities based in Lawrence, to discuss the programs being implemented by his Department.

The fair also included the participation of Dominican poets living in the United States, Lourdes Batista and her group “Solo para locos”, as well as poets Jorge Piña and Karina Rieke, and Osiris Mosquea and Félix García, among others. During the three days of the fair there was a massive participation of a variety of cultural expressions from various Latin American countries, including Peru, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Argentina, Colombia, Cuba and theDominican Republic. The event closed with a concert by Aníbal de Peña and Jacqueline Estévez.