Buenos Aires Publishers Fair draws 40,000 people in four days

The Feria de Editores de Buenos Aires (FED) wrapped up its 15th edition, drawing an impressive 40,000 visitors over four days. The event served as a vibrant hub for 330 independent publishing houses from across Latin America and Spain, solidifying its status as a premier cultural gathering in Argentina's capital.

This year's fair saw the editorial house Volcán Azul recognized for Best Bookstore Labor, while the label Gourmet Musical received the Rumbo Award, granting them entry to the Guadalajara International Book Fair. Beyond accolades, the FED hosted dozens of public conversations and conferences featuring prominent authors and editors. Notable participants included Mexican writer and editor Socorro Venegas, Mexican singer-songwriter Julieta Venegas, French author Violaine Bérot, Uruguayan writers Tamara Silva Bernaschimna and Erika Paula Curbelo, Brazilian writer, essayist, and professor Felipe Charbel, and Mexican editor and translator Jacobo Zanella.

Víctor Malumián, co-founder of Ediciones Godot and a key organizer of the FED, expressed his delight at the continued support for smaller publishers. "We are very happy to see how the support for small and medium-sized publishers is renewed; more than 40,000 people accompanied us. Without readers, all this would be impossible," he told EFE.

Diego Rey, editor at Hotel de las Ideas, a press specializing in graphic novels, reported a successful year, with revenue up over 30% compared to the previous one. "I believe the FED is already a mandatory cultural event. For us, it is very important because we meet a more diverse audience than usual, and that expands our possibilities," Rey stated. Several publishers shared their best-selling titles, including works by Mauricio Kartun, Isaac Asimov, Souvankham Thammavongsa, Pablo Stefanoni, Salomé Esper, Durian Sukegawa, Julieta Venegas, Andrei Tarkovsky, Melina Knoll, MEY, and Pablo Picyk.

Laura Vela and Carlota Visier from Spain's Comisura publishing house were particularly impressed by the event's diversity. "We are absolutely delighted with the variety of publishers here. Compared to Spain, we have felt that there is more bibliodiversity and more shared spaces; there is not such a primacy of the 'big name' or the 'big group'," they commented to EFE, highlighting a sense of collaborative spirit and a broader range of voices being celebrated.