Reading tends to be a habit that leads to loneliness. Just like writing. They are two actions that in themselves are executed from isolation. That is why it is not surprising that many readers look for their support network and that authors seek to build a community within the Buenos Aires International Book Fair.
During these last three weeks La Rural was the refuge of thousands of readers and authors. Going from two Nobel Prize: Mo Yan (China, 2012) and JM Coetzee (South Africa, 2003); to the publishing phenomenon of romance authors: Inma Rubiales, Alice KellenMegan Maxwell, Mercedes Ron and Sandra Miro. Last Sunday was no exception: with hallways full of readers and shelves overflowing with books, the fair reached the final stretch of the 50th anniversary edition after having been the scene of thousands of signatures, talks, anecdotes and events.
“That, among the millions of existing books, someone chooses yours to read is a very strong privilege,” he commented. Marisa Potesauthor of Remote Coast while doing a general overview of the fair Infobae Culture.
In this edition the Blue Pavilion became the sanctuary of the new generations. Under the title “New voices NOW”, the Young Tribune Room received authors who are a compass in the digital and publishing world, such as Milena Walters and Carolina Sichel. In a climate of complicity, the authors shared their creative processes in front of an audience that sees in them the reflection of their own stories. With the moderation of Antonela Romanothe young national authors took a tour of their creative processes and their first steps in writing,
That same afternoon, the concept of “Found Family” came to life in a debate about Reading clubs. Giselle Leiva and Rocío Elysee They explored that magical metamorphosis where a group of strangers, united only by the weight of a book in their hand, end up becoming a chosen family that can inhabit the same story for hours.
Likewise, within the schedule of activities of the Young Tribune, poetry manifested itself as an inexhaustible torrent during the day, finding its highest point in the Poetry Marathon. In this space, young and diverse voices recited verses that ranged from social activism to the most intimate fibers of love and passion for literature. Among the protagonists of this display of rhymes and metrics were poets such as Marico Carmona, Jessica Medina and Guido Messina.
In tune with this spirit of youthful belonging, the Urano stand was transformed into a stage where reality and fiction erased their borders. Flor Núñez Graiño She was there, surrounded by readers, signing copies of her new novel: The Emerald Illusionist. While the author dedicated each book, a real illusionist entertained those waiting in line, recreating the atmosphere of that 1920s Broadway where the play takes place.
This story of magic and danger, set in the days before the Wall Street stock market crash, resonated strongly in a fair where youth rules. According to Georgina Dritsosfrom Ediciones Urano, this phenomenon does not stop growing and has added readers of all ages who turn to realistic stories, fantasy or new subgenres. Elvio Suarezfrom the commercial team, confirmed that the stand featured youth fiction—by authors such as Lynn Painter or one’s own Flor Nunez— outperforms any other genre on average, driven by an audience looking for both intense stories and deluxe editions to collect. “The audience we see the most is the youth,” said Suárez.
On the other hand, the sacred dimension also had its place in the Rodolfo Walsh Room, where Jesus Maria Silveyra presented his biography San Carlo Acutis. With the expert gaze of Sergio Rubinthe path of the young man who managed to unite the tradition of the Eucharist with the language of the digital age was followed.
When the sun began to set over Palermo, the farewell did not come with silence, but with an explosion of life that overflowed the rooms to gain the open sky. The air was filled with a joyful melancholy as the Blender Festival and the Polenta Party They transformed the Central Court into a stage where dance and music were the final language of a community that refused to march.
In other corners, curiosity remained burning until the last minute; while some were lost in astronomical observations guided by Constantine Baikouzisothers challenged fate in a last game of chess or toasted with the science of a shared mate that rescued the legacy of the Dr Houssay. Childhoods also wove their own final memories, trapped between the magic tricks of Fernando de Vedia and the Andean legends that scooter He narrated like someone who gives a treasure before leaving.
Between hugs, reunions and literary recommendations, the recurring reading community said goodbye to the fair with a contradictory flavor: the happiness of having experienced one more edition and the nostalgia that there is one more year left to meet again among the labyrinths of books and the corridors full of people who are moved by the same passion.
With the closing of this edition, the Buenos Aires International Book Fair reaffirmed its role as a meeting point for those who find in reading a way to share and build community. The expectation for a new edition is already beginning to take shape, while the echo of the pages read and the stories shared remains an invitation to cross the doors of La Rural again next year.
