 From
the early years of 80th decade, Book Fairs in Cuba saw the light in
all its extension. Although there were fairs, exhibitions and book
sales on different moments within Cuban history, highlighting those
organized by the outstanding Cuban intellectual Raúl Roa around
the 40s and 50s.
The First International Book Fair dated from 1982 with the attendance
of some Latin American Publishing Houses.
José Martí and Félix Varela's works could be
appreciated for the public present at the
National
Fine Arts Museum, main venue of this event.
The second event was held on 1984 and its specialized exhibition
tackled even scientific-technic books.
About 1986, its third edition gathered 44 countries and international
organizations.
Its main exhibition was devoted to children and youngsters. Up to
1998, due to its biennial character, different fairs took place,
all of them, boasting the attendance of more than 30 countries.
Cuban writers started to be honored and for the first time the 1991
National
Prize of Literature was granted to poet Angel
Augier in this celebration. It was precisely in this same year
when the fair featured a Honor Guest country: Mexico.
Due to the Cuban Industry of Book's growing development, since
2000, these fairs acquired an annual character, honoring this time
poet and essayist Cintio
Vitier. San Carlos de la Cabaña Fortress became its main
venue, receiving every year great amount of public.
On 2001, the Tenth Edition honored poet and essayist Roberto
Fernández Retamar and the 2002 celebration revered the
famous ethnologist and poet Miguel
Barnet. This time the fair widen its wings along eighteen
Cuban cities with an estimated participation of about three millions
persons. The latest event was devoted to Pablo Armando Fernández,
1996 National Prize of Literature.
This fair is currently the right space to grant specialized prizes
at the editorial world to remarkable personalities at Cuban Letters.
National Prize of Literature, Social Sciences, Edition, Design,
''Alejo Carpentier'' and ''Nicolás Guillén'', ''Virgilio
Piñera'' among others recognitions.
The XIII International Fair of Book in Havana opened its doors
from February 5 to March 7 and embracing about 34 cities as main
seats in Cuba and five millions of books came out for sale. The
event revered Carilda
Oliver Labra, 1997 National Prize of Literature from whom a
personal anthology holding 60 poems and the book ''Los Huesos Ahumados''
saw the light, also the 55-aged poems book ''Al
sur de mi garganta'', had its fifth re-edition.
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