Book Fair: a guide to highlights

The Buenos Aires International Book Fair It is one of the most important cultural events in the country. In its 48th edition, the halls of its pavilions are less crowded than other times, and publishers, booksellers and professionals in the sector comment loudly on how the economic crisis in general and the measures of this Government in particular are impacting sales and costs of the entire production chain. The discussion about whether books are expensive or not is settled there: there is such diversity that there are options suitable for all tastes and budgets, from crazy offers to very expensive imported books.

The Fair is a space in which many cultural proposals are concentrated in three dizzying weeks. The idea is to notice some interesting books to look for there, and share some recommendations and activities, so that they take advantage of the visit and listen to a talk or discussion.

To illustrate, it occurred to me to use this time the great #FotosLocas taken by Sebastian Lididover, a great cultural agitator and book enthusiast who works for Anagrama and Bookmate. For several years, Sebastián dedicated himself to expanding the covers of some titles in improvised scenes in bookstores, fairs, beaches, or on the street, to complete, in some way, the visual sense of that book in question. He shared them every Friday on his networks and they were even shown on the La Rural property. If you want to see more, you can visit the full album on your Facebook account.

Let us begin.

BOOKS TO LOOK FOR AT THE FAIR

The call by Leila Guerriero

One of the best things I read all year. The call is the portrait in which Leila Guerriero delves into the life story of Silvia Labayru, a Montonero militant who was kidnapped in December 1976, at the age of twenty and five months pregnant, and who gave birth to her daughter at the ESMA. Labayru finally managed to go into exile in Spain and a few years ago she returned to live in Argentina. Armed with an incredible architecture, the book replenishes the voice of Silvia – with whom Leila interviewed for almost two years – and also links the testimony of many people who knew her, between the past and the present. What is generated is very interesting and uncomfortable, because many of the kidnapped people who survived were judged by their companions as traitors, and here Leila goes a little further and shows that it is not so easy to take a position or mark the exact line that divides to the innocent from the guilty. The call It proposes to rediscuss some ideas (or relativize them) and is exquisitely written. The book is available at Riverside booth 816.

The five essays by Frenchman Éric Sadin

The fashionable philosopher? Could be. The truth is that this French thinker has been shaping a critical work for many years that, based on reviewing history, analyzes the impacts of the technological matrix on contemporary subjectivities and closely studies the phenomenon of artificial intelligence from a perspective humanist. In his last visit to the country a few weeks ago, he left a lot of room to cut because he connected his complaints about the emergence of “tyrant individuals” with the current political situation in Argentina and his leadership. All translated by Margarita Martínez and published by Caja Negra, you can find her books Augmented humanity, The silicolonization of the world, Artificial intelligence or the challenge of the century, The era of the tyrant individual and The spectral life at stand 1920 of Los Siete Logos or at stand 826 of Coma Cuatro.

The Energy Forest diaries

A new publishing house, specialized in writers’ diaries, directed by playwrights Eugenia Pérez Tomas and Andrés Gallina, is one of the most innovative projects that can be found at the Fair. I read his six books published so far and my favorites are the Cleaning diary from the writer from Mar del Plata Matías Moscardi (a record of his relationship with grooming and its cultural implications), the Unconscious diary of Santiago Loza (a retrospective meditation on madness), and the exquisite Diary of a sign learnera short and revealing book that just came out, written by the dancer and choreographer Tania Dick, who proposes to learn this language without sounds. The entire collection is located at B&R’s Stand 525 stand.

Latin American Literature: a dictionary and an atlas

Two gems, for various reasons. On the one hand, the reprint of the voluminous Dictionary of Latin American authors of Cesar Aira, the book (originally published in 1998) in which, as a young man, he signed up all the writers that interested him with the premise that they had been born before 1940. Ideal for getting to know other voices from the continent, it is available at the stand of Random House. (Aira also has a new book –when not–: Various ideasby Blatt & Ríos).

On the other hand, the forceful Atlas of Latin American literatureput together by the Argentine writer living in Spain Clara Obligado and the illustrator Agustín Comotto. With a beautiful two-color hardcover edition, in it 47 contemporary writers (re)discover 50 authors from the history of literature in the region. Federico Falco is in charge of the entries on Sara Gallardo and Di Benedetto, Martín Kohan of José Hernández, Mariana Enriquez of Silvina Ocampo, María Negroni of Pizarnik and Lina Meruane of Marta Brunet, to name just a few. It also has sections on “the women of the Boom”, and on authors such as the Guatemalan Luis de Lun, indigenous, rural teacher and trade unionist, and on Julia de Burgos, considered the greatest poet of Puerto Rico, black, feminist and also a rural teacher. who died in poverty. Ideal occasion to attend to works that are not so widespread or promoted. (It can be found at the Riverside stand.) And Obligado will also be visiting the Fair presenting his new literary foray: Three ways to say goodbye, published by Foam Pages.

Alejandra Kamiya’s trilogy

Delicate, subtle, parsimonious. This is how the atmosphere of the stories of the Argentine writer of Japanese descent could be described. Alejandra Kamiya. Many readers are discovering it and are fascinated by its meticulously constructed universes, with each word weighed and chosen, and in which nature and animals have a primordial presence. To understand where his search is coming from, you can get any of his three books of stories available from the Eterna Cadencia publishing house (all three have very suggestive titles): The patience of water on each stone, Fallen trees are also the forest (my favorite) and The sun moves the shadow of still things. They are available at the 1920 stand of Los Siete Logos.

The children of the 21st century

The Siglo XXI publishing house has always been associated with the field of essays and intellectual traditions. But now they are expanding their area of ​​influence and launching a children’s series with interesting proposals, such as the updated reissue of a citizen education collection put together by Graciela Montes in the nineties. With titles like What is this democracy? and How is justice done? They seek to explain with a didactic and fresh tone (and many drawings) some key topics of life in society so that the little ones can understand (and defend them). And this month they published a beautiful and original version of The Iliad call The Trojan War in comic format, with texts of Nicolas Schuff and illustrations of Mariana Ruiz Johnson. For teachers, mediators, mothers and fathers, they also have an impeccable collection with books on parenting, education and technology directed by Melina Furman. Very good prices and balances. You can find them at stand 823.

ACTIVITIES AND RECOMMENDATIONS

The collective stands

One of the things I enjoy most about the Fair is visiting the collective stands. I am not referring to those of the distributors, but to the spaces where different projects come together in a few meters. The stands of Meeting, Panoramic, The Amazing World and The Seven Logos (which has already held ten fairs) reflect very well the current effervescent state of independent publishing production and confirm that making alliances and thinking about collective solutions is always necessary. Special mention to the new space called Book Ministry, which through its logo and its communication seeks to influence the “cultural battle” proposed by the Government, and which brings together a lot of publishers that are part of the Typeo collective (Territory and Organized Editorial Production) and Todo Libro Es Político. You can follow them on social networks to consult their detailed “Official Announcements” and find out about the stand’s programming.

Lisbon, guest city

While Portugal celebrates the 50th anniversary of the Carnation Revolution, Lisbon is the city invited to the Fair, arriving with a prominent delegation of writers, illustrators and cartoonists. They have a stunning stand in the yellow pavilion and their own programming. Here is the schedule of each day’s activities, with special attention to the legacy of Saramago and Pessoa.

Visit of the Catalan author Gemma Ruiz Palá

An international visit: this Catalan author comes to present a book that was widely read in Spain called Our mothers. With a very literary and feminist perspective, the author looks at what generations of women experienced during the Franco dictatorship to vindicate the importance of their daughters being masters of their own destinies. Gemma Ruiz Palá will talk with the editor of consonni Mary Mur Deanand the writers and journalists Tamara Tenenbaum and Hinde Pomeraniec on Friday, May 10 at 7 p.m. in the Alejandra Pizarnik Room.

The Indigenous Word. Dialogue with Native Writers

For the first time in its history, the Book Fair allocates a space specially designed to listen to, interview, meet and read indigenous writers. With curatorship and coordination of Fabián Martínez Siccardi, Diego Antico and Fiona Martínez, there will be guests from different regions of Argentina, Chile, Peru, Paraguay and Canada. Here is the complete schedule. From May 8 to 10 in the Alfonsina Storni Hall, white pavilion.

Pre-closing discussion

Another thing that happens for the first time: there will be a closing debate of the Fair with the title “Culture at the center of the scene.” It promises to be interesting (and spicy) judging by its participants: Beatriz Sarlo, Martín Kohan, Hernán Lombardi and Lucas Llach. Moderator: María O’Donnell. Sunday, May 12 at 5:30 p.m. Victoria Ocampo Room, white pavilion.

The Fair ends on Monday, April 13. Remember that the entrance fee is $3,500 on weekdays and $5,000 on weekends. Students, teachers and retirees with accreditation have free entry. And keep an eye on the Fair networks, because they are releasing different schedules with free entry. I hope we meet there.