From Parque Santander to the Corferias site: 35 years of the Bogota International Book Fair

35 years ago the first edition of the Bogotá International Book Fair (Filbo) with the aim of promoting the world of book culture nationally and internationally and its influence in the formation of a nation like Colombia.

The FILBo, however, was not the first scenario organized in the Colombian capital for the promotion and dialogue around the books in a massive way. In 1936, a popular book fair, promoted by the then mayor of Bogota, Jorge Eliecer gaitanwas made available to the people.

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This fair, with smaller features and concentrated in the center of the Colombian capital, lasted only a few years. The idea resonated later, fortunately, and, after the discouraging episodes of the 1940s and the convulsive era of the 1950s, around 1960 the Fair in the Park of Santander was launched, near the Gold Museum, the immediate antecedent of what will later be the Bogotá International Book Fair.

With the Colombian Book House At the forefront of the matter, realizing the magnitude that this fair could have for two weeks, the directives began to think of a space that could bring together more public and serve to strengthen the book industry in the country, bringing together publishers , writers and booksellers. in the same place, thus promoting cultural development and encouraging the training of readers, in the manner of the Frankfurt Fair.

In April 1988, this idea materialized and under the leadership of Jorge Valencia Jaramillothen President of the Chamber, launches the FILBo.

The main question at the time was where to hold the fair. “After analyzing different options, we came to the conclusion that Corferias was the right place (…) We proposed the idea to Óscar Pérez and Hernando Restrepo, and they immediately accepted it”, wrote Valencia Jaramillo in an article published by The weather.

Corferias was therefore the place that hosted what is today the most important book event in Colombia and, together with the book fairs of Guadalajara and Buenos Aires, one of the three most important in Latin America. . 35 years later, this alliance is still valid.

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The first FILBo was held as part of the 450 years since the founding of Bogotá and paved the way for the country’s consolidation as a center of the publishing industry in Latin America, thus expanding its reputation as a “South American Athens”. .

During this edition, the local press recorded the participation of 26 international writers, 300 nationals and just over 150 exhibitors from all over the country. In a city that had barely recovered from the devastation left by El Bogotazo, this was quite an achievement.

Starting in 1991, FILBo began thinking about specific countries for planning the event. A different one with each edition. The idea was that the whole program, or a large part of it, would be organized around the guest country, thus opening the possibility for other nations to publicize their literary and cultural offer, with the aim that visitors enjoy the value of culture outside of Colombia.

The first country invited to the Bogotá International Book Fair It was Venezuela. The fourth edition of the cultural event received the neighboring country at the fairground between May 1 and May 14 of that year.

Since then, in the FILBo have participated as invited countries: Trinidad and Tobago, Argentina, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Japan, Portugal and the Republic of Korea , among other nations.

Only eight times the same guest country appeared as in previous editions. Argentina, France, Brazil and Mexico have repeated themselves, the latter being the one that will have the opportunity to display all its cultural, gastronomic and editorial offer in the thirty-fifth edition of the event.

Like the major book fairs in the world, FILBo has positioned itself as one of the most relevant on the continent and in the world over the years, which enabled it to contribute in 2007 to Bogotá being chosen by UNESCO as ‘World Book Capital’.

This appointment has enabled the fair to broaden its reach and strengthen its ability to make visible and support the work of national authors and publishers. Thanks to this, independent labels have emerged which today set the tone of the publishing sector at the national level.

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Over the years, the Bogotá International Book Fair It took place without interruption, always seeking to create trends and welcoming the most important players in the book chain in the world. During all this time, let us remember, the biggest challenge at the logistical level, without minimizing the other obstacles that had to be overcome, was that of the pandemic.

As the Covid-19 begins to travel around the world, a new and unfortunate anecdote is added to the memory of this event. The most recent episode occurred when the country witnessed the theft of the first edition of “One Hundred Years of Solitude”Signed by Gabriel Garcia Marquezthan the bookseller Alvaro Castillo Granada had borrowed from his private collection to be exhibited during the 2014 edition, when the guest country was Macondo. 9 years have passed since.

It wasn’t until 2020 that FILBo couldn’t take place and organizers had to resort to digital tools and virtual installations to try to cushion the blow. It was a terrible year for the world and, in particular, for Colombia, because it had to face different obstacles at the economic and social level.

The pandemic has hit the national publishing industry hard and even today they are struggling to overcome this episode. In the midst of it all, FILBo welcomed the Book Channel players and gained momentum where there was none to move forward.

In 2021, the thirty-third edition was held virtually, with the aim of not letting the event lose its momentum and thus guaranteeing, as far as possible, a commitment to the cultural development of Bogotá and the country. A year later, having stabilized the issue of infections, FILBo returned face-to-face, albeit with some reservations, having the Republic of Korea as the guest country.

35 years of Bogotá International Book Fair They take place in 2023, between April 18 and May 2, with Mexico as guest country of honor and Cali as guest city, with a wide cultural, musical and editorial offer, accessible to all participants. With international guests of the stature of writers Chimanda Ngozi Adichie there Kim Thuy, the writers Guillermo Arriaga, Juan Villoro there Martin Caparrosand influencers and broadcasters such as David Wallace Wells there Richard Firth-Godbehere.

FILBo will have a rich cultural agenda of more than 1,800 activities and events, 500 national and international guests, from around 25 countries; exhibitions of plastic and visual arts, gastronomy, sciences and much more.

This edition of the fair will definitely be the one of return, without any type of restrictions due to the virus, with full opening for the public and, from the hand of its director, Adrian Angelseeking to have an impact not only in the capital of the country, but in each of the regions that compose it, thus trying to have complete coverage.

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