The authors Ian Gibson and Leonardo Padura will be present at the Santander Book Fair (FELISA), which this year celebrates its 43rd edition and which will bring together 14 bookstores and 48 authors, from July 5 to 14 in the Plaza de La Porticada .
In addition, 16 children’s activities have been scheduled, nine ‘Felisa Nights’ and the Santander Municipal Band will close this edition, in which 28 multidisciplinary artists will also participate.
For ten days, FELISA will bring together such notable authors as Ian Gibson, Rosa Montero, Nieves Concostrina, Bob Pop, Edurne Portela, Pilar Adon, Leonardo Padura, Javier Gomá, Azahara Palomeque and Sergio del Molino, among others.
This was explained this Thursday in Casyc, during the press conference to present this fair, the Minister of Culture, Tourism and Sports, Eva Guillermina Fernández; the mayor of Santander, Gema Igual; the coordinator of the initiative, Paco Nadal; and the president of Libreros Asociados de Cantabria (LAC), Luis Lisaso.
According to what they have pointed out, fifteen Cantabrian authors will participate in this edition, such as Conchi Revuelta, Gustavo Cotera, Silvia Prellezo and Juan Carlos Flores-Gispert, in addition to other national authors of the most recognized in the world of comics and graphic novels, such as David Rubín, Ana Miralles, Miguel Brieva, Carla Berrocal or Javier Olivares.
There will also be ‘FELISA Nights’, with ‘Singing to the poets of 27’, by Sheila Blanco; ‘Agitado & Mixed’, by Rebeca Jiménez and Benjamín Prado; ‘Baladans’; ‘From Drake to Blake’, by Javi Lost, Álvaro Fombellida, Hugo Sáiz and Alejandro Rebollo; ‘The poetry of trees’, by Leticia Ruifernández & Pedro Calero trio; ‘A body is a city’, by Celia Bsoul; ‘Earring’; ‘Tudanca Folk’; and ‘Complete Leftovers’, by José Luis Esteban and Naiel Ibarrola.
Following these concerts, the Santander Municipal Band will offer a musical closing on Sunday the 14th, which will be conducted by Vicent Pelechano.
Likewise, the Fair will experience some previous actions, such as the film and literature contest that for the third consecutive year is programmed with the La Llave Azul association and the Regional Film Library, a performance in the days prior to the start of FELISA in which a dozen are working of reading clubs in the region and ACEPAE (Cantabrian Association of Professional Companies of the Performing Arts).
In addition, it is planned to carry out exchanges with the Xixón Book Fair (FeLix), so the Cantabrian Diego Cobo will be on the programming of the neighboring city, while the Santander fair will feature the participation of the Asturian Carlota Suárez.
Fernández has pointed out that this project is “more than a fair”, it is “the celebration of the word”. Thus, he has opined that books “enrich lives and allow us to travel to imaginary places.” “When you read, you are never alone, and that pleasure will accompany us throughout our lives,” said the counselor.
For its part, Igual has stressed that Felisa is one of the city’s cultural flagships, “a consolidated event that contributes to Santander leading the ranking of outstanding cities in terms of the quality and innovation of its cultural programming.”
Meanwhile, Nadal has stated that the 48 authors who are going to be mentioned in the capital of Cantabria are “first-class names” and has highlighted that the ‘Felisa Nights’ are “a benchmark,” indicated the coordinator of the fair.
Finally, Lisaso highlighted that this initiative is a “long job”, since it has been developed continuously for 43 years, which is why he said it is a “pride and satisfaction, but also an enormous responsibility”.
