Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Dulcina Mendes
Published on 2024-04-18 18:23:46
The “Grande” Book Fair of Cape Verde takes place from April 26th to May 5th at the Memorial AmÃlcar Cabral in Praia, and will feature 24 stands. After Praia, the fair will move to the Tarrafal de Santiago municipality, as well as the islands of Sal, Brava, Fogo, São Vicente, Santo Antão, and others.
The fair’s program was presented on Thursday, April 18th, by the president of the National Library Institute of Cape Verde, Matilde Santos, at a press conference attended by the Ambassador of Portugal to Cape Verde, Paulo Lourenço.
According to Matilde Santos, this fair is part of the cooperation between Portugal and Cape Verde in promoting books and reading. She mentioned that the Ministry of Culture and Creative Industries, through the National Library Institute of Cape Verde, has been organizing the Grande Book Fair for over two decades, leaving a lasting impact on the people of Cape Verde.
The fair brought together book lovers, cultural agents, and those in the book industry, and was eagerly anticipated each year. The event aimed to promote literacy and reading, as well as to facilitate access to books for cultural and leisure purposes, as well as academic and technical resources.
Matilde Santos highlighted the presence of established and emerging authors, book launches, involvement of schools and cultural associations, parallel programming, and public space animations, all contributing to making the fair a cultural landmark and a cornerstone in the promotion of books and reading.
The revival of the Grande Book Fair in Cape Verde after more than a decade aims to inject new dynamics into the book market in Cape Verde and facilitate access to books.
The president of the National Library Institute of Cape Verde emphasized that the “Grande” Book Fair is being held as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of April 25th, under the theme “Freedom and Literature.” Several publishers, booksellers, and specialized institutions will participate in this edition.
During the fair, various activities like games, debates, outdoor dining, and a children’s area will be organized. The goal is to breathe new life into the book market in Cape Verde and make books more accessible. The initiative is intended to be extended to all islands and municipalities of the country.
One of the major novelties of the fair is the focus on technical and academic books, as well as support for the creation of editorial lines and local initiatives from public and private publishers. The presence of established and emerging authors, book launches, involvement of schools, cultural associations, and the entire parallel programming make the Grande Book Fair a cultural highlight and a key pillar in the promotion of books and reading.
During the fair, books of the day will be sold with discounts ranging from 20% to 40% off the cover price, while in the last hour, books will be offered at discounts between 50% and 80%, making them the main attractions of the fair over the ten days.
The Ambassador of Portugal to Cape Verde, Paulo Lourenço, mentioned that this initiative aims to contribute to the book economy, invigorate the book market, promote reading in Portuguese, and democratize access to books for the people of Cape Verde. He noted that the investment by the Portuguese Cooperation, through the Camões Institute for Language Cooperation, is estimated at 100,000 euros.
Paulo Lourenço explained that this investment aligns with the strategic cooperation program between Portugal and Cape Verde for 2022-2026, focusing on promoting library policies, archives, artistic or literary creation, and the implementation of the National Reading Plan.
Read the original article(Portuguese) on Expresso das Ilhas
