28 de julio de 2006 - Prensa Latina

Guatemala Hosts Intl Book Fair

Guatemala, Jul 28 (Prensa Latina) The fourth International Book Fair (FILGUA 2006) opened on Friday in the Guatemalan capital with the attendance of editors and publishers from 20 countries under the slogan “We go for a Country of Readers”.

Cecilia Bailey, president of the Chamber of Editors, highlighted the importance of reading for the exercise of democracy and the strengthening of a culture of peace and tolerance, which stand as main objectives of the event.

A people that reads will learn to fight ideas with ideas and not with assaults on people, said Bailey.

The indigenous leader Rigoberta Menchu, 1992 Nobel Peace Prizewinner, referred to the great cultural richness of peoples in the region, where there exists an oral tradition boosting the transmission of history, anecdotes and principles.

The Guatemalan leader called on writers of the region to strengthen those traditions and stated that writings without spirituality will not be able to cure the peoples´ sorrow.

Participants in the opening session recalled pioneers of Central American literature such as Ruben Dario, Rafael Landivar, Jose Milla, Otto Rene Castillo, Roque Dalton, Mario Monteforte Toledo and the Nobel prizewinner in literature Miguel Angel Asturias.

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