CubaPLUS Magazine

Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel, joined by senior cabinet officials, presided over the opening of the Havana International Book Fair on Monday. This year’s edition is dedicated to Russia and the centennial of the birth of revolutionary leader Fidel Castro.  

In his opening remarks, Juan Rodríguez, President of the Cuban Book Institute, condemned the current backdrop of imperialist war threats facing the island, highlighting the exceptional role culture plays in this context.  

Since the 1980s, this fair has served as a forum for the exchange of knowledge, and it continues to be a vital cultural bastion, he emphasized.  

Roughly 1,300 new releases and two million books will be available at the event. Following its run in Havana through August 16, the fair will tour the island, concluding in the eastern province of Santiago de Cuba on September 6.  

Delegations from China, Mexico, Argentina, Venezuela, Brazil, and Spain are participating in the event, which features Russia as the Guest of Honor. The Eurasian nation is presenting a rich cultural showcase led by a delegation of artists and writers, offering their works to long-time admirers while introducing new generations of Cubans to Russian literature, traditional music, and cinema.  

The program dedicated to the historic leader of the Cuban Revolution includes launches of titles such as Fidel, siempre abogado (Fidel, Always an Attorney), published by Ediciones ONBC; Fidel Castro: ¿Qué se encontró al Triunfo de la Revolución? (Fidel Castro: What Did He Find Upon the Triumph of the Revolution?), from Capitán San Luis publishing house; and the Obras escogidas (Selected Works) of Raúl Castro.  

As is customary, alongside book presentations and sales, attendees can access a comprehensive academic program featuring the presentation of the National Prizes for Literature, Social Sciences, and Publishing. These will be joined by the Nicolás Guillén Poetry Prize, the Alejo Carpentier Prizes for essays, short stories, and novels, and the Calendario Awards presented by the Hermanos Saíz Association, which represents Cuba's young creators.  

Organized by the Cuban Book Institute, the Cuban Book Chamber, the Ministry of Culture, and the Russian Embassy in Cuba, among other institutions, the fair will also pay tribute to journalist and writer Marilyn Bobes and researcher José Bell Lara.  

Postponed from last February due to the country’s onset of energy challenges, the fair also relocated from its traditional home at the majestic Morro-Cabaña Park across Havana Bay to bring the event closer to the public at the Línea y 18 Cultural Center in central Vedado, as well as nearby cultural institutions.  

(Taken from Prensa Latina)