Murcia book fair. Writers, publishers and booksellers appreciate the importance of this cultural event when it comes to strengthening ties with readers and evaluating the health of the region’s publishing market
The Murcia Book Fair will open its fifth edition next Thursday, October 6, and will be installed for seven days until October 12 on Paseo Alfonso X El Sabio and in the Plaza Circular. An event organized by the Palin cultural association and directed by Jesús Boluda that will bring together 60 stands with 40 different exhibitors. A significant increase in the stands compared to the previous edition, which had 41. During this week, more than 300 writers will pass through the various stands.
Lorenzo Silva and Noemí Trujillo -the fairground callers-, the writers under the pseudonym Carmen Mola -Jorge Díaz, Agustín Martínez and Antonio Mercero from Lorca-, Manuel Vilas, Arturo González Campos, Rodrigo Cortés and other authors from the Murcia region such as Ilu Ros, Manuel Moyano, Magdalena Sánchez Blesa, Juan Ramón Calero, Santiago Delgado, Nuria Barrios and Salva Espín are some of the names that will be present at the fair. An activity plan that is expected to increase its figures for 2021, with 130,000 visitors and sales of 35,000 books. Optimistic figures for the organization. Book fairs and street markets account for 2.8% of total book sales in Spain, according to the Barometer of Reading Habits and Buying Books in Spain 2021, prepared by the Federation of Publishers’ Guilds of Spain (FGEE), but the truth is that these events have more value than the economic transaction. It is the most direct contact between writers and readers.
In 2020 and this time with incarceration as an ally, the percentage of people choosing reading as a leisure activity increased, a figure that was consolidated in 2021. Notably, 60.3% of Murcians read books as a leisure activity in 2021. A figure that is four points below the Spanish average, which stands at 64.4%.
In terms of book sales, the paper format continues to resist the digital and win. In fact, for the first time, the barometer notes a decline in the percentage of readers of books in digital format, which stood at 29.4% of the population in 2021, compared to 30.3% recorded in 2020. Bookstores remain the preferred space of readers to to buy books.
On the other hand, in the Murcia region, 858 titles were published in 2019 – the latest data from the National Institute of Statistics (INE) – representing 1.3% of the national total, with 64,154 titles published. Is the publishing industry healthy with these numbers? Days before the Book Fair celebrations, writers, booksellers and publishers speak with LA VERDAD about the shortcomings and strengths of the publishing world and the real, material and emotional function of these events.
With ‘Federico’, Muleña illustrator Ilu Ros has won the Murcian Book of the Year 2021 award, according to the jury of these awards convened by the Murcia Friends of Reading Foundation. The cartoonist and storyteller will receive her award on October 6 and will sign copies of her work at the LA VERDAD booth on Friday, October 7 at 5:30 pm. “I think this recognition is a very nice prize. There was a lot of quality among the finalists and I did not expect that because it is the first time that a graphic novel has been awarded. I was surprised by the simple fact that I was a finalist,” says the author.
The artist from Muleña emphasizes that compared to the “lonely job” of an illustrator, “where you go through a lot of fears and insecurities”, direct contact with readers “allows you to know what their experience has been like in enjoying the book and that is very gratifying”.
Ilu Ros is pleased that the graphic novel has been “better regarded as an adult genre” in Spain for a few years now and is generally of the opinion that the publishing industry in Spain has been “highly supported by society during the pandemic”.
For Francisco Marín, President of the Publishers’ Guild of the Region of Murcia and founder of labels such as Gollarín and La Fea Burguesía, the fair is indeed a good opportunity to sell books because “it is a showcase to present our activity, our publishing house, the news and also the editorial background.We are very attached to writers but the goal as a publisher is to sell books regardless of the track’, says de Caravaqueño.
Marín defines the publishing industry of the Murcia region as “humble, ambitious, experienced, skilled and with very good prospects. There are a dozen labels that we are committed to good literature from regional, national and international authors. I think we are consolidating positions are,” the editor says.
“This is a small autonomous community and so we occupy a modest space, but I think we are doing well. Despite the difficulties caused by Covid, we are continuously present,” he says. “It is true that the change in lifestyles with the pandemic encouraged reading and buying, but on the other hand, it separated us editors and writers from readers, from book presentations and from working with libraries; luckily we are back to normal,” he concludes.
The writer Miguel Ángel Hernández is ‘resting’ this year and will not sign at the Book Fair. The author of ‘The Gift of the Siesta’ and ‘The Pain of Others’ emphasizes that ‘contact with the reader’ as ‘a very important moment’, because ‘in the end the writer works alone and the reader reads alone. When the reader approaches to speak, although it does not give too much time to go in depth, it helps you to put a face on it». A moment «when it seems as if the immaterial act of writing and reading becomes flesh. A moment of communion among readers».
At the fair there are readers who know the book and other visitors «who come across a work -Hernández insists- that they do not know and because of the title, because of the conversation or for strange reasons such as that author seems more attractive before they decide to read it. to buy. There are a thousand things that influence ». The author, who has attended several fairs as a reader and also to sign copies, believes that the Murcia book fair is «small compared to cities comparable to Granada or Seville, which have much larger fairs than ours, partly because they usually organized by city councils. In this case, it’s an association that organizes, Palin. Thanks to them we have a fairground, because of the discontinuation of functions by the institutions, who are the ones who should throw all the meat on the grill. Instead of being a public scholarship, it is a private scholarship sponsored by the public.”
Cristina Morano agrees with Miguel Ángel Hernández: «The Book Fair should again be communicated and organized by the City Council, so that it can be managed by officials and workers, the rent of the stands would be cheaper and, moreover, from the public ensure that the agency is more equal, more sustainable, with more diversity among its employees and with more meetings with publishers and distributors». The author also believes that decentralization is necessary. “60% of the Murcians live in the districts and cultural events cannot be limited to the ‘tontodromo'”.
For the poet and graphic designer, book fairs are “the most important event in the world”, because that is when most authors make themselves known. «At the major exchanges of European capitals, the major translation and distribution contracts are specified and authors are introduced to publishers across borders».
The publishing industry, according to Morano, is “stagnant” because “independent publishers are suffering and the big ones are determined to release ‘best sellers’ that have no interest or artistic value. Publishers looking for that literary fact that reflects our society , lose money.
The Royal Academy Alfonso X El Sabio opens a booth at the Murcia Book Fair. A booth that “will set the essayistic tone of the fair”. It will be booth number 52 and with that, the cultural entity adds “to this success as evidenced by last year’s figures. A scholarship that has come this far thanks to the efforts of Asensio Piqueras,” said Santiago Delgado, Secretary of the Academy, who will be signing copies of ‘Vae Victis’ and other books of his authorship on Saturday, October 8 at 7:30 PM. «Walking, looking at each book, touching it, being interested, asking the price, seeing the evolution of the covers over time, observing the seller’s art… book fairs, both for new and used books, are a human event. Regarding the health of the publishing industry, the academic points out that “editing has not been easy in recent years, partly because we had problems with paper shortages.”
For Ana Sánchez, bookseller of Educania, participating in the Murcia Book Fair is “a big dream because we bring titles, stories and authors in a different way and we make our company known to people who otherwise would not reach it”. This week is also “a more fun party that we prepare with great enthusiasm,” explains Sánchez. “For us, the trade fair is part of our profession and so far it has brought us a lot.”
In this case, Educania focuses on a very specific group of readers, children. “You have to give them what they like. The first thing that attracts children is the visual. The books have lots of illustrations so they enter through the eyes and that is what will grab their attention. As for the text, it should be short and better in rhyme. Books are also another way that children can also bring out their problems and become aware of what is happening to them in a playful way.
The bookstore believes that bookstores are still chosen by readers to buy because they are “pleasant spaces in which you feel surrounded by stories and illusion” and also “by recommendation”, because “it is often not easy on the internet to find a book, you have to read a lot of summaries, whereas if you go to the bookstore and explain what you are looking for, the bookseller will easily recommend you,” he says.
«I always say: sing in your city and you will be universal. I don’t agree with that saying that no one is a prophet in their country,” said Magdalena Sánchez Blesa, a poet – and a socialist deputy in the Regional Assembly – who considers it “an honor” to participate in the fair. The author will sign at the LA VERDAD booth on Thursday, October 6 at 5.30 pm “I have been made very well known from the Murcia region”, says de Lumbrerense, highlighting this space as “a special place to promote literature”.
“There is a lot to do in the publishing sector and in general in the whole regional culture,” says Blesa. “We have to be very attentive of the institutions and support the culture with budgets and that the little money that is allocated is at least executed correctly.” In order to improve in future editions, «the fair must pay attention to those involved and indicate what is needed. People should instruct politicians. You should create an industry and not see culture as simple entertainment,” he concludes.
Source: La Verdad
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
