“The crazy Buenos Aires night returns to the Fair,” says Gabriela Ricardes, Minister of Culture of the City of Buenos Aires, a little jokingly and very seriously. She makes him proud, how can she not? The book Fair just announced that it will have free entrance from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. from Monday to Thursday – except Wednesday the 1st – and that is partly possible because the Buenos Aires government decided to compensate for tickets that are not sold. Put money, in a few words.
How much money? The amount is not closed but Ricardos speaks of between 10 and 15 million pesos. The offer meets the expectations of the organizers and, of course, Ricardos stick out his chest
In passing, he confirms a rumor: the City, he says, is preparing a translation support program. It is a sensitive point for the industry and for writers: the South Program – which since 2009 has financed translations of Argentine writers and through which many authors reached distant borders and ended up nominated for important awards – was reduced to its minimum, of 316,000. dollars last year to 25,000 in 2024. The City of Buenos Aires program will have, Ricardes estimates, another 25,000.
-How was the decision to finance the opening of the Book Fair?
-At this time, supporting cultural consumption is essential. The idea was that those returning from work and wanting to visit the Fair would not have to think about whether to pay the entrance fee. And that they can enjoy some of the enormous options there are. Not only, of course, at the City stand, which has a wonderful program. At the Fair stands you have to discover not only what is for sale, the new publications, but also be in direct contact with the writers, with the editors.
-And that you can buy books…
-Of course, it is important for us to have a triple impact: help citizens to be able to enter and participate in one of the most important cultural events in Latin America. Collaborate with the Fair so that in that time slot I improve participation without making a loss. And on the other hand, the publishers: have greater circulation of a public that will have a few more pesos to spend on books at the Fair.
-In that sense, it was said that the City was going to implement a translation support program…
-Yeah. We are, we are, we are going to do that. We know that it is important for the development of the publishing industry, for the export of our authors. Support for translation is necessary and allows us to take a first step so that the wheel can then be put together in the industry. So let’s support the translation of authors.
-The South Program, of the Foreign Ministry, was reduced to $25,000 in total per year. How much do they think about?
– We are going to be, at least, supporting the same thing that the South program is going to support.
-Most of the country’s publishing houses are in the city.
-We know that Buenos Aires is a literary city, it is a reference city for publishing, writing, reading, bookstores, libraries, illustration, and editors. And at this time purchasing books is expensive. Editing is expensive. So we have to put all the tools we have available at the service of the industry, the reader and the writer to generate a long-term program that facilitates access to reading. That is why this whole series of actions that the Head of Government launched at the opening of the Buenos Aires Book Fair: the acquisition of new volumes for our public libraries, extension of library hours, which add school support and understanding reader.And a system of home deliveries for all library associates over 65 years of age. So that neither the rain, nor the wind, nor if you don’t feel very well, are an impediment.
-You are talking to me about public intervention in culture. We are at a time when the validity of that is called into question.
-Luckily in the City of Buenos Aires this is not in doubt. We have institutions that, of course, have things to improve, but they are strong, well-managed institutions.
-I was asking about a political conception.
-When we manage culture we are not only managing spaces, services, but we are also managing symbolic capital and symbolic capital: culture in the City of Buenos Aires is not at stake.
-At the opening of the Book Fair there were strong speeches against the policies of the national government. Didn’t they think they were taking “one side” by supporting the Fair a few days later?
-For us the decision is to accompany the people of Buenos Aires in one of their most important cultural events. This is not in relation to national politics but rather to the politics of the City of Buenos Aires and its cultural institutions and what the Fair means to Buenos Aires. The City of Buenos Aires maintains its commitment to citizens as it has always done and is going to be in a difficult moment for all Argentines. In every space, in every action in which we can collaborate with the Buenos Aires citizen who is accustomed to consuming culture.
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