Lima Book Fair Celebrates 30 Years with Ecuador as Guest of Honor

Lima, Peru – The 30th edition of the Lima International Book Fair (FIL Lima), one of Latin America's largest literary events, commenced on Wednesday, July 22, 2026. This year's fair, which runs until August 6, welcomes Ecuador as the guest of honor and features an extensive cultural program.

For the first time, FIL Lima is being held at the Jockey Exhibition Center, a move aimed at facilitating growth after three decades. Ricardo Muguerza, president of the Peruvian Chamber of Books (CPL), stated during the opening that the venue may change, but the fair's core mission remains: to make books and reading a shared experience. This year's event will pay tribute to the recently deceased author Alfredo Bryce Echenique and commemorate the 100th anniversary of poet Blanca Varela's birth.

Ecuador's presence as the guest of honor is a significant first for the country at an international book fair. Their pavilion will host a delegation of 40 authors from various disciplines, presenting a cultural offering that blends literature with music and gastronomy. Ecuadorian authors attending include former president Rosalía Arteaga, Leonardo Valencia, María Fernanda Heredia, Álvaro Samaniego, Andrea Crespo, and Merino Santi.

Fabián Luzuriaga, president of the Ecuadorian Chamber of Books, announced that over 700 titles and 2,000 copies will be shared with Peruvian audiences. The Ecuadorian pavilion aims to provide an immersive experience of Ecuador, highlighting its equatorial line, volcanic geography, biodiversity, and artistic expressions. "A country can be read, and when a country stops being read, it stops being known," Luzuriaga remarked, emphasizing the desire for this cultural exchange to strengthen historical ties between Ecuador and Peru.

Ecuador's Vice Minister of Culture, Pamela Cortés, underscored the literary exchange, noting how Ecuadorian poet Jorge Enrique Adoum found readers in Peru, just as Peruvian writers like Blanca Varela are admired in Ecuador. Cortés concluded by describing the fair as an "embrace between countries," hoping it broadens the understanding between Ecuadorians and Peruvians.