The writer from Teguise, politician, and friend and direct disciple of Benito Pérez Galdós, José Betancort, known by his pseudonym Ángel Guerra, starred this Thursday in the first day of the II Lanzarote Book Fair. The fair opened with the formal act of naming the La Villa House of Culture with the name of the creator of essential stories such as 'La Lapa' or 'Al jallo', in which a commemorative plaque was inaugurated to the writer.
In addition, another of the highlighted authors was the best-selling writer Juan Gómez-Jurado, known for his novel 'Reina Roja', who presented his new book 'Todo vuelve' during the fair.
After the staging of a contemporary dance piece performed by Acerina H. Toledo and inspired by the writer's work, authorities and the public moved to the House of Culture to proceed with the literary baptism of the installation and the inauguration of an exhibition dedicated to Guerra, which will remain open until Sunday, May 5.
In the turn of speeches, the mayor of Teguise, Olivia Duque, welcomed those present and gave the floor to the president of the Association of Booksellers and Publishers of Lanzarote 'Isla Literaria', Tomás Pérez-Esaú, who alluded to the "priceless contribution in the social, human and literary aspects of Ángel Guerra, to whom the Canary Islands is indebted." He also referred to the "dream come true" of the book fair "that is offered to those who are already reading public but also seeks to approach those who do not have a habitual proximity to culture."
The Minister of Culture of the Cabildo, Jesús Machín, thanked the autonomous government for the election of José Betancort as the winner of the Canary Islands Literature Prize 2024 and emphasized "the idyllic place that hosts this edition of the Fair, which was undoubtedly put on the map of letters by the writer and journalist from Teguise."
For her part, the Minister of Universities, Science and Innovation and Culture of the Government of the Canary Islands, Migdalia Machín, welcomed the celebration of the book fair, "which celebrates the richness of our culture and the transformative power of literature," and wished "that this meeting be a reflection of what we are: a people united by history, creativity and love for knowledge. May each page that is read in these days be one more step towards a future where culture and education are cornerstones of our society."
Olivia Duque closed the act, highlighting "the political unanimity that surrounded the approval of the new name of the House of Culture 'Ángel Guerra'", and recalled and thanked the "arduous work of the municipal team" to obtain, adapt and launch a space "that was a pending issue in a town of historical, heritage and cultural importance such as La Villa."
The President of the Parliament of the Canary Islands, Ástrid Pérez, the Minister of Education and Publications Service, Ascensión Toledo, and the councilors of Culture and Education and Libraries of Teguise, Javier Díaz and Mar Boronat, respectively, among other authorities, also attended the fair.
At the end of the ceremony, the delegation toured the different stands of bookstores, publishers and publication services of administrations and private foundations, a rich and varied offer that confirms the excellent reading health of the population of Lanzarote.
Ángel Guerra and Juan Gómez-Jurado
The fair program began with the presentations of several reissues and research works on the latest Canary Islands Literature Prize winner, Ángel Guerra. These are 'Narrativa Última', a compilation of texts by the philologist and teacher Zebensuí Rodríguez, published by the Publications Service of the Cabildo de Lanzarote, and 'Relatos canarios', by Ediciones remotas. María José Alonso and Rubén Acosta, editorial managers of the publications, participated together with Rodríguez.
The first afternoon of the II Lanzarote Book Fair was also the backdrop for the presentation to society of the Association of Writers of Lanzarote, which was given by its president, Juan Luis Quincoces. The entity, which has in its honorary committee personalities such as Alberto Vázquez Figueroa or Pilar del Río, is an organization that, in the words of its promoter "intends to give visibility to the enormous number of people who write in Lanzarote and who do not know what to do with their manuscripts." A few months after its launch, there are already more than 200 members; within the framework of the fair they have collaborated with the colloquium "Vermouth of the murderer", which will feature José Luis Correa and Miguel Aguerralde and which will be held on Saturday at one in the afternoon in the courtyard of the Timple Museum.
The day ended with the presentation of 'Todo vuelve' by the best-selling author Juan Gómez-Jurado, interviewed by the journalist Paco Robayna. A room packed with public of all ages enjoyed the characteristic mordacity of the author of Reina Roja, who recalled that "the writer is only 50 percent of the book, because the rest corresponds to the reader" and added that his main job "is to spread my own enthusiasm for reading." At the end of the conversation, the capacity in weight lined up before the signing stand to take a dedicated copy of some novel of his prolific production.
The II Book Fair will continue throughout the weekend with different presentations and activities. Friday morning will be dedicated to the school public, with the presence of different educational communities, who will attend talks, presentations and workshops. And from five in the afternoon until Sunday at noon there will be a program for all tastes and ages, which this year has incorporated numerous children's and youth literature, in addition to meetings of established and other new authors and theatrical and musical proposals.
Detailed information on content and schedules can be found on the website of the Book Fair and on the Facebook and Instagram profiles.