Rodríguez Cabrera stressed that the Havana stage is only the beginning. As always, the fair will now tour the island and close on 6 September in Santiago de Cuba.
The first stage of the 34th Havana International Book Fair concluded in the Cuban capital with more than 95,000 printed and digital volumes sold. Organisers presented the result as proof that cultural life can continue even under severe economic strain.
Juan Rodríguez Cabrera, president of the Cuban Book Institute and of the organising committee, told the closing ceremony in the Nicolás Guillén Hall that the intensified US embargo had not prevented the event, which was dedicated to the centennial of Fidel Castro’s birth (1926–2016) and pays tribute to writers Marilyn Bobes and José Bell Lara.
International Solidarity and a Shifted Venue
Thirty-three countries took part, turning Havana into a temporary capital of reading. Originally planned for February, the fair was postponed because of fuel and energy shortages and relocated from the traditional La Cabaña fortress to the Línea y 18 Cultural Station and supporting venues. Russia served as Guest of Honour.
Its comprehensive artistic and literary programme strengthened long-standing cultural ties. Sergey Parkhomenko, Chargé d’Affaires ad interim of the Russian Federation, described the responsibility of presenting Russia’s multifaceted culture -literature, music, film and more – in dignified fashion under current conditions, and expressed hope that new joint projects would emerge.
Recognition for Cuban Publishers
The Organising Committee honoured several institutions, including the Cultural Station of the Fondo de Bienes Culturales, the Provincial Government of Havana, the Fidel Castro Center and stands from ICAIC, INDER and the Ministry of Agriculture.
The Cuban Association of Communicators awarded its social-communication prizes. Editorial Letras Cubanas took both the graphic-arts category and the Grand Prize for its consistent digital responsiveness and visual identity. Ediciones ICAIC won the audiovisual award, Casa Editorial Abril the digital-media prize, and Editorial Gente Nueva the public-relations award for its Children’s Pavilion work.
The View From The Beach
Rodríguez Cabrera stressed that the Havana stage is only the beginning. As always, the fair will now tour the island and close on 6 September in Santiago de Cuba.
For publishing professionals, the edition rams home both the commercial appetite that persists among Cuban readers and the diplomatic value of literary exchange even in constrained circumstances like these.
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