Galicians Ready for Cuban Book Fair

CUBA, 7 February, 2008.- The Autonomous Community of Galicia, guest of honor at the 17th Cuban International Book Fair, will disembark in Havana with a delegation of more than 200 people, including some 50 authors. Nancy Perez, coordinator of the Galician participation, said the group will present the literature of the last 30 years from this northwestern region of Spain.

"We will show the modern and cultured Galicia that is open to the world. It is part of a project to take Galician culture abroad that begins in Havana, to later continue on to Latin America and beyond," said Perez.

Famous Galician singer Mercedes Peon will perform at the inauguration of the book fair, said Perez, also noting that the Philharmonic Orchestra of Galicia is scheduled to perform with a special performance from gaita (bagpipe) player Carlos Nunez.

Over 30 Galician publishers will display their books at the fair with some 6,000 titles at reduced prices, said Perez, noting that 400,000 copies of poetry and prose anthologies and of other well known authors will be given to the public in Havana and the other event venues throughout the island.

Good news for people who like to read, starting today, 44 Havana bookstores will open their doors with 380 titles that were printed in large quantities for the fair, said Fernando Leon Jacomino, vice president of the Cuban Book Institute.

This initiative has the book stores "in the front line of making literature part of the daily life of our people," said Iroel Sanchez, president of the Book Institute. "We want to make our stores more visible, and that's why we decided to make this offer a week before the fair opens, to give them the place they deserve."

Sanchez said book presentations and children's activities will take place at each book store. "This is an effort that will remain for the rest of the cultural life of the city," he said. (Cubaminrex-RHC)