Lanzarote will have this year a Island Book Fair thanks to the public-private collaboration between the Cabildo of Lanzarote and the association of booksellers and publishers Isla Literaria. An event that in its first edition will be held in the municipality of Yaiza, also counting with the collaboration of the southern City Council.
The I Island Book Fair has been presented this Monday at the facilities of the Island Library, in an act that has counted with the presence of the president of the Cabildo of Lanzarote, María Dolores Corujo, of the councilors of Culture and Education, Alberto Aguiar and Myriam Barros respectively, of the councilor of Culture of the City Council of Yaiza, Daniel Medina, and of the representatives of the association Isla Literaria, Mayte Pozo and Tomás Pérez Esaú.
As explained by the president of the Cabildo, María Dolores Corujo, the Island Book Fair of this 2023 will pay tribute to the writer Rafael Arozarena and his novel "Mararía", given that this year marks the centenary of the birth of the Tenerife author and also marks 50 years of the publication of his most known work.
An annual fair with an itinerant character
"In addition, Mararía takes place in the town of Femés, so Yaiza is the appropriate municipality to host this edition of the Book Fair," added Corujo. However, as she detailed, "a fair of insular scope is proposed, with annual periodicity and itinerant character, so that each year it is organized in a different municipality in order to promote reading throughout the insular geography and bring culture closer to the entire population".
"We must claim and support literary creation, the publishing sector and reading, since they play an essential role for human development, their well-being and their happiness", concluded the president of the first insular corporation.
"Today is a beautiful day, because after a long time working on this Island Fair, it finally sees the light", said the Councilor of Culture of the Cabildo, Alberto Aguiar, who thanked the work carried out by the association Isla Literaria and the disposition of the City Council of Yaiza "from minute one".
In this same line, the Councilor of Education and the Publications Service, Myriam Barros, has spoken, who also wanted to recognize the City Council of Yaiza for being the only municipality on the island that annually, except in 2020, on the occasion of the pandemic, has celebrated its Book Fair. "In addition, today we can say that we are in luck, because this was something that society and the cultural sector were asking for," she added.
"Yaiza has always bet on letters and on a small Book Fair that has always kept alive the flame of literature in the municipality, so the fact that hosting this first island fair fills us with pride and honor", said the Councilor of Culture of the City Council of Yaiza, Daniel Medina.
For their part, the representatives of the association Isla Literaria, Mayte Pozo and Tomás Pérez-Esaú, have broken down part of the program of the I Island Book Fair and have expressed their gratitude to the institutions involved for making "this dream come true".
"We are a small, minor island, but we have a volume of editorial production and a number of bookstores that is not normal, being at the head in the Canary Islands. That is why we wanted to make a worthy fair", they said, pointing out that the purpose "is not only to bring the fair closer to those who read but to those who do not have this habit".
Program
Under the name of "La Fiera del Libro", the I Island Book Fair will be held from April 27 to 30 and will feature different stands and the participation of seven publishers and five bookstores.
The Fair will also have three zones (Adult Zone, Geek Zone and Children's Zone), in which you can enjoy different activities, presentations, workshops, talks and shows.
In the Adult Zone there will be storytelling, workshops, book signings, monologues, theater and presentations, as well as a debate table on women in literature will be held.
For its part, in the Geek Zone you can enjoy a meeting of authors with schoolchildren, as well as workshops on comic creation and rap. There will also be a table of illustrators, another on the genre of terror and science fiction, games, merchandising, an exhibition of illustrators, book signings and presentations.
Finally, the Children's Zone of the Island Book Fair will feature storytelling, story workshops, meetings with authors, book signings, theater, children's games, and playroom among other activities.
Among the authors who have already confirmed their participation in this I Island Book Fair of Lanzarote are José Luis Correa, Elsa López, Marta Robles, Héctor Abad, Jesús Cintora, Ana Requena and Amparo Sánchez (leader of Amparanoia), all of them with a wide professional career.
All the information regarding the definitive program, schedules and new confirmations of authors will be updated through the social networks of the I Island Book Fair (Instagram and Facebook: @lafieradellibrolanzarote), as well as the Culture pages of the Cabildo of Lanzarote and the City Council of Yaiza
The I Island Book Fair has the economic and institutional support of the Cabildo of Lanzarote through the areas of Culture and Education, which have contributed 30,000 euros for its celebration, as well as the collaboration of the City Council of Yaiza, who has also made a monetary contribution of 20,000 euros.
