32nd Havana International Book Fair concluded in Havana, moves on to the rest of the country

HAVANA, Cuba, Feb 26 (ACN) With 725,933 copies of books sold, a figure higher than previous editions, and the presence of 435 representatives from 56 countries, the 32nd Havana International Book Fair concluded in Havana.

Juan Rodriguez, president of the Cuban Book Institute (ICL by its Spanish acronym), said at the closing ceremony that the event had the book and its promotion as the main motivation, despite the complex economic situation the country is going through.

The coercive measures of the U.S. government against the Caribbean Island did not prevent the celebration of this massive fair with the people as its protagonist, as more than 450,000 people attended, he noted.

More than 2,200 literary and artistic activities were carried out and more than 800 physical and digital titles were presented, thanks to the close collaboration between Ruth Publishing House, Citmatel and the ICL's Virtual Store, Rodriguez indicated.

He added that the Fair in its venue in Havana was the ideal scenario for the awarding of the most important literary prizes in the country, such as the Literature, Publishing and Social and Humanistic Sciences awards.

He described as extraordinary the 6th edition of the Digital Cuba project, the 2nd Publishing Business Forum, the Meeting on Public Reading Policies, among other spaces for dialogue in benefit of collective culture.

The Federative Republic of Brazil, as guest of honor, gave us a magnificent artistic and literary program, as its culture and knowledge were showcased, Rodriguez affirmed.

Jéferson Assumçao, director of Books, Reading, Literature and Libraries of Brazil, considered that it was a beautiful and popular Fair that put the book in a prominent place in the collective imagination.

The 32nd International Book Fair will continue in the coming days in the rest of the provinces of Cuba and will conclude on March 24 in the eastern province of Santiago de Cuba.