Noticias
Opening of the 39th International Book Fair of the Palacio de Minería
February 22, 2018The 39th international Book Fair of the Palacio de Minería was opened on Thursday, February 22 with a program made up of 1,360 activities including 180 exhibitors, 600 publishers and a list of 800 authors who create an extensive cultural mosaic with 856 presentations of printed books, 112 workshops, 81 round tables and 113 readings open to the public.
The event was attended by: Enrique Graue Wiechers, rector of the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM), María Cristina García Cepeda, secretary of Culture of the Government of the Republic; Alejandro Moreno Cárdenas, governor of Campeche, state guest of honor; Gerardo Montero Pérez, rector of the Autonomous University of Campeche; Eduardo Vázquez Martín, secretary of Culture of the City of Campeche; Eduardo Vázquez Martín, secretary of Culture of the City of Campeche; Jaime Valls Esponda, general secretary of the National Association of Universities and Institutions of Higher Education (ANUIES); Carlos Anaya Rosique, President of the National Chamber of the Mexican Publishing Industry (Caniem); Carlos Agustín Escalante, Director of the Engineering Faculty of UNAM, accompanied Fernando Macotela, Director of the International Book Fair of Palacio de Minería
María Cristina García Cepeda, secretary of Culture, said that the book is at the center of the programs promoted by the institution in charge of it, such as the National Network of Libraries and the Reading Rooms Network, in addition to the initiatives that are carried out jointly with UNAM, such is the case of the agreement recently signed between both institutions to link science and culture.
She said that this edition which annually attracts thousands of visitors, opens a new chapter in an effort that has transcended the years in the valuation of the book as a vital instrument of the human being.
"The fair is a place of search and encounter. As a society, we share the challenges of teaching, reading, writing and promoting books that preserve memory and imagine the future through words. We continue to be a reference point for what Marshall McLuhan called Galaxy Gutenberg, and that the digital age changes every day with new platforms to read and new writers. The book is in our hands, in any format, so that we can cross that bridge that unites us with what we have been and what we want to be”.
For his part, the rector of UNAM, Enrique Graue Wiechers, said that this year's edition will remember great figures of our culture such as Juan José Arreola, in addition to the legacy of men who have been part of the spirit of the university and knowledge and education in our country, such as Justo Sierra.
Graue Wiechers said that reading is a human right and therefore actions must continue to be taken to combat illiteracy in the country, in which institutions and civil society must jointly participate. A society that does not read has little information, is dependent and easily manipulable.
When officially opening the activities of the 39th International Book Fair of the Palacio de Minería, he pointed out that Justo Sierra said that the most civilized towns are those where there are more schools and more children who know how to read and write, words, he said, totally valid, "because reading is the tradition of this fair and its meaning".
Governor of Campeche, Alejandro Moreno Cárdenas, celebrated that in this edition his state participates with more than 60 activities and that the present authors follow a long tradition of men and women who have enriched the literary tradition of Mexico with their works.
"Our country needs people who remain committed to their letters so that it can continue its ascending path towards a more developed horizon. Our present was built yesterday and the future is built today”.
Carlos Anaya Rosique, president of the Caniem, said that the fair has strengthened, over the years, the precept that culture is root and education is the collective soul of a people, hence the importance of book fairs remain an irreplaceable tool.
"Reading is a strategic activity for the development of the country and therefore public policies must continue to promote strategies to promote books and reading”.
Carlos Agustín Escalante, director of the Faculty of Engineering of the UNAM, said that 39 editions of this event follow the tradition that José Vasconcelos began by organizing the first book exhibition at the Palacio de Minería, an example taken up four decades ago by the university.
"This fair has today 150,000 visitors per year and continues to strengthen one of the city's richest cultural programs, which over 12 days invites the public to join the richness of reading”.
Mexico,Distrito Federal
