The Cabildo of Lanzarote has classified the celebration of the II Lanzarote Book Fair as an "unprecedented success." In a press release, they highlighted "the increase in sales and public attendance compared to last year."
In this line, they celebrated the number of boys and girls who attended the presentations and met the best-selling authors, along with new authors who increase their visibility and their contact with the reader in these meetings.
The president of the Cabildo, Oswaldo Betancort, conveyed to the organization his satisfaction for a balance that "could not be more gratifying and hopeful, given the excellent response from the public and clientele throughout the four days of the fair, the epicenter of the literary and scenic cultural offer and proof of the good health of the printed word in Lanzarote."
From last Thursday until noon on Sunday, the Plaza de la Constitución, presided over by its majestic lions, the surrounding streets and the centuries-old buildings of the Casa-Museo del Timple Palace and the Fajardo y Clavijo municipal library, have hosted the various activities of the program of the second bet of "Isla Literaria", an association of booksellers and publishers of Lanzarote, to breathe life and embodiment into the traditional meeting of letters.
Best-selling authors such as Juan Gómez-Jurado, Reyes Monforte, Rebeca Stones or Eloy Moreno, or the popularity of Bob Pop or Santiago Auserón, achieved the highest attendance in their presentations, before diverse audiences in age or interests, with whom lively collective gatherings and conversations were organized before the dedicated page of a recent acquisition.
All meetings with writers obtained their share of interest. According to the president of Isla Literaria, Tomás Pérez-Esaú, "especially, the qualified offer of children's and youth literature of this II edition of the Book Fair has been the best showcase for optimism regarding the future of the printed word. Sales have been remarkable and the authors of this genre have conveyed their enormous satisfaction to us."
Rubén Acosta, co-editor of Ediciones Remotas, who recalls the figures from other editions: "Without a doubt, the results have been improved, sales have been important for bookstores and publishers; in our case, this year we have also attended to a good number of people who were looking for books in other languages."
As already happened in 2023, journalists and experts in education, communication and content creation have collaborated altruistically in the introduction and public interviews with the writing cast. José Ramón Sánchez, Paco Robayna, Laura Ruiz, Yolanda Ruano, María José Alonso, Pilar Estevan, Soraya Morales, Javier Rodríguez, Pedro Cabrera, Myriam Ybot, Mar Arias, Amalia Fajardo, Víctor Bello, Ruth Corujo, María Moreira, José María de Páiz, Flor Espino, Rafael Hernández and Lana Corujo contributed to their presentations
A consolidated fair
The first confirmation of this strengthening and consolidation of the Book Fair is the coordinated presence and support of the various public administrations, which did not want to miss this event. The Departments of Culture, Education and Publications Service and Art, Culture and Tourism Centers of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, the Department of Universities, Science and Innovation and Culture of the Government of the Canary Islands, through the Canarian Institute of Cultural Development, and the City Councils of Teguise, host and close collaborator of the meeting, Yaiza and Tinajo have contributed to making a meeting a reality through which hundreds of people have passed throughout the weekend.
The mayor of Teguise, Olivia Duque, who participated in tables and as an audience in numerous activities, expressed her joy at the convening power of the Fair and its strategic mission of promoting reading among the population of Lanzarote. "It is wonderful to see that books maintain their strength as transmitters of knowledge and as the best toy for the imagination, also on our island."
Also the Cabildo and its heads of the Publications Service and Culture, Ascensión Toledo and Jesús Machín, have attended the reading-writing, as a sign of decided support for this activity and its vocation for continuity for other years and other places.
The golden touch was the concert offered by the also writer Santiago Auserón, in the auditorium of the Cueva de los Verdes, late on Sunday.
The association Isla Literaria has expressed its gratitude to all the people who in one way or another have participated in this collective success of culture and creation, from the companies linked to editing, distribution and sales present with their stands, illustration professionals, to the staff of the Teguise City Council and Arenao productions. And especially, to the sponsoring firms of the event: Cicar, Chacón, Relaxia, Sonidos Líquidos, Association of Writers of Lanzarote, Cerelan and Vinos de Lanzarote.
The photo galleries, author profiles, presentation videos and other additional information is accessible on the web and on the Facebook and Instagram profiles.
