2023-12-01 02:22:00
Weekly Books: With FIL 2023 in full swing, what are your first impressions of this 37th edition?
Marisol Schultz : All indicators are green. The public returns in droves, and each day, attendance is up compared to last year (where the FIL attracted more than 800,000 people, 14,000 professionals and 2,200 publishing houses, editor’s note). And success is not only measured in numbers, but also in the feelings of the publishers, who are very happy.
Exactly, what is the first feedback from the thousands of professionals present in Guadalajara this year, particularly in terms of rights exchanges?
Everyone tells me that they are selling more books than last year. The general feeling among book professionals is one of satisfaction. The first feedback from our rights exchange center is just as positive; Guadalajara has regained its role as a meeting point between publishers who will subsequently work together. For the moment, we estimate that 5,000 more international publishers have made the trip than last year.
As organizer of this major event for the book world, what can you tell us about the choice of having made the entire European Union your guest of honor this year?
It is a real pleasure to see that 27 different countries manage to arrive in Mexico with a common program, so dense and so rich, with more than 70 authors, prestigious and newcomers alike, exhibitions all over town, incredible concerts every evening … All of that put together means, from my point of view, we have one of the best lineups this year that we’ve ever had.
You also give a very large place to the young public, with, among other things, a special exhibition at your Fair: the FIL Niños.
This audience is very important to us. They are very attracted by certain influencers, invited by publishing houses. More than authors or publishers, young readers are more attracted by themes that directly affect them in their lives, such as sexuality, finances, gender issues or violence against women…
Photo LÉA LA/MICHEL AMADO
How would you summarize the state of health of the book market in Mexico, and more generally of the Spanish-speaking book market, a language with nearly 500 million speakers?
Here, people remain attached to the printed book, as the crowded aisles of the fair attest. In Latin America, digital or audio books are not popular, which penalized us a lot during the Covid period. Today, the market has finally recovered and the figures are good. Sectors like the one shown are seeing their numbers increase, even if literature remains the king genre. The markets are currently dynamic, but are also experiencing their share of difficulties, particularly political ones. The book has a very important place in Mexican politics today, but maybe that won’t be the case in five years.
In fact, a single book price was established eight years ago in Mexico. Has this law helped the industry, particularly booksellers?
I don’t think this law has changed anything. This is a very important law, but it is not followed. For a simple reason: there is no sanction.
From your point of view, do French publishers have a place to play in these dynamic markets?
They are less prominent than publishers from Spanish-speaking countries, obviously. Readers here are not used to reading French authors and publishers. So there are opportunities for them to do something, other than just having their translations published by Anagrama or Alfaguara for example. French authors have a market for them here! I would like to receive more.
Furthermore, who will be the FIL’s guests of honor in the coming years?
In 2024 we invite Spain. In 2025, it will be the city of Barcelona. Our guests can be countries, cities, cultures, unions… what matters is literature. I would love for France to be our guest of honor. I even tried, several times, by coming with my presentation file in French under my arm…
Finally, in terms of attendance, the Guadalaraja FIL seems to be the first Book Fair in the world, while this title is generally attributed to the Frankfurt Fair… How do you explain it?
You can’t compare apples and pears! The two fairs are very different. In terms of attendance, yes, we are ahead. In terms of business, we are behind. Frankfurt welcomes professionals from more than 150 countries… We welcome around 50, although this figure increases every year. Between the two fairs, the positions are quite different. To summarize: Guadalajara is the first fair in America, Frankfurt is the first in the world.
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