by the El Reportero’s news services
The XII Panama Book Fair, the cultural event that expected to attract more than 80,000 book lovers from Aug. 16-21 at the ATLAPA Convention Center had the United States as guest country this year.
The U.S. writers delegation to the fair will consist of Anna Renee Todd, Antonio Orlando Rodríguez, Amanda Filipachi and Rigoberto González, announced John Feeley, United States Ambassador in Panama.
Former Mexico, DF mayor an presidencial candidate Andrés Manuel López Obrador presented his book Catarino Erasmo Garza Rodriguez, Revolutionary or bandit? (2016, planet), in which the figure of this character of Mexican history rescues “of oblivion” that he fought the dictatorship of Porfirio Díaz and died in exile in Bocas del Toro, Panama.
Orit Btesh, president of the Panamanian Book Chamber said that this cultural event is currently among the top five fairs in Latin America.
“We are very proud to have been able to organize it throughout the years due to the great support from national and international writers, as well as the general public who seek personal and intellectual development”” said Btesh.
The fair organizing committee explained that the cultural diversity of the United States which manifests itself in its fine arts, including theater, music, literature, cinema and gastronomy makes it the perfect guest country and the Panamanian public will be able to experience all of this at the fair.
The winner of the Asturias Princess Award for Literature 2015, Leonardo Padura, and the speaker, Ismael Cala, was present at the event, represented Cuba,
Another event which will be part of the fair is the Conference 400, where tribute would be paid to literary giants such as Shakespeare, Cervantes and the Inca, Garcilaso de la Vega. Included was a special event entitled “Shakespeare Lives”, to celebrate the works of the English bard with a series of activities which would explain his role in the English literature.
It had a commemorative session to celebrate the 90 years of the Panamanian Academy of Language; a conference on the centenary of Ruben Dario’s death and a sample of ‘Black Panama’, a literary space to praise the black novel.
More than ten countries were expected participate in the Book Fair, whose aim is to encourage reading in our society.
Global folklore and arts Olympics held in Mexico
Representatives from over 50 countries and regions were introduced into the venue for the 5th international folklore and folk arts festival held in Mexico’s central state of Zacatecas on July 31
Sponsored by the International Council of Organizations of Folklore Festivals and Folk Arts (CIOFF), an agency within UNESCO, the grand party of CIOFF was moved to the American Continent for the first time, after previously being held in Japan, Hungary, the Netherlands and Korea. The event is held every four years and has had over 20 years of history.
“This event is for exhibitions of traditional instruments in the world, Mexican embroidery, photographs of endangered trades and popular games, shows and craft workshops,” said Phillippe Beaussant, CIOFF President
under the umbrella of CIOFF, a branch agency of the United Nations.
