A VERY SPECIAL EDITION. With Lisbon as the Guest City of Honor and prominent international personalities arriving from all over Latin America, but also from the United States, Ireland, Israel, Germany, France, Italy, China, and Canada, among others, this year the fair adds to its multicultural programming a new dialogue space for writers from indigenous peoples. Furthermore, different voices and perspectives will cross paths in a new proposal, “The Fair's Debates,” with the aim of stimulating the exchange of ideas, which is necessary in these turbulent times. The inaugural address will be given by the essayist, short story writer, novelist, and mentor to writers, Liliana Heker. With a brilliant career, it is expected that the author, who at 81 years old has just released a new novel, “Noticias sobre el iceberg” (News about the iceberg), will inspire us with powerful content. The program includes almost 1500 activities in rooms and stands for readers, editors, librarians, booksellers, illustrators, teachers, students, and the entire community that comprises the book's value chain.
The Fair will be open to the public from Thursday, April 25 to Monday, May 13 and will take place at La Rural, Buenos Aires Exhibition Centre.
TO SCHEDULE:
Professional Days – From Tuesday, April 23 to Thursday, April 25. Publishers, booksellers, distributors, literary agents, illustrators, librarians, designers, and translators, both from Argentina and abroad, will participate in our Professional Conferences with the aim of strengthening professional networks and encouraging connection and networking among all players in the book ecosystem. This year's highlights include training sessions on Artificial Intelligence and Copyright, marketing strategies, agreements with streaming platforms, podcasts, audiobooks, and libraries of the future. More information HERE
OFFICIAL INAUGURATION – Thursday, April 25th, 6 PM The Fair's opening ceremony will be attended by government authorities and cultural figures. The inaugural address will be given by Argentine writer Liliana Heker. “I feel my designation to deliver the opening address as a recognition. I was very happy to know it was unanimous. Several people told me, ‘How lucky that it's you.’ And I must meet those expectations. Alejandro Vaccaro (president of Fundación El Libro) told me when I was proposed: ‘You can say whatever you want, we never set limits,’” she expressed. Her photo and information HERE
The opening ceremony – which will be broadcast live via streaming on the Book Fair's YouTube channel – will feature simultaneous interpretation into LSA (sign language).
Educational Activities – From Friday, April 26 to Saturday, May 11. The Fair once again offers excellent programs for educators: the International Education Conference; the International Oral Storytelling Encounter; the Congress for the Promotion of Reading and Books; and the International Forum for the Teaching of Science and Technology. As every year, the El Libro Foundation also promotes the Isay Klasse Award for Educational Books. Additionally, there are activities for educators in the Teacher's Zone every weekday. More information HERE
Conabip’s % Book Program – Friday, May 3, and Saturday, May 4 This event is being held for the nineteenth time, bringing together nearly a thousand community librarians from across the country, who come to purchase materials at a 50% discount and thus update their book collections. A classic event at the Buenos Aires Book Fair.
NEWS I: TRIBUTES and A FANTASTIC JOURNEY Two anniversaries surrounding the writer Julio Cortázar are celebrated, and to honor him, the Fair dedicates its Reading Marathon to him. For two hours on Tuesday, April 30th, starting at 7 PM and for the first time in Zona Futuro, writers, actors, and actresses will explore the literature of Julio Cortázar, author of unforgettable fantastic short stories in Argentine literature and “Hopscotch,” the novel that captivated and challenged readers in the 60s: “Julio Cortázar is our playful and experimental, enthusiastic and committed, exquisite and popular writer. This year we remember him on a double anniversary: his birth, 110 years ago, on August 26, 1914, and his death in Paris, 40 years ago, on February 12, 1984,” clarifies Alejandra Rodríguez Ballester, coordinator of the event.
Among the participants will be Claudia Piñeiro, Liliana Heker, Mauricio Kartún, Cristina Banegas, Paula and María Marull, Rubén Szchumacher, Sylvia Iparraguirre, Jorge Consiglio, Gabriel Goity, Ingrid Pelicori, Federico Jeanmaire, Josefina Delgado, Mónica Sporra and Miguel Gaya, Patricio Zunini, and the special participation of Michi Strausfeld. But, in addition, there will be music specially composed by Marcelo Katz, who will perform it on the piano, an evocation of Cortázar's passion for jazz and his youthful spirit of a “cronopio” always ready for joyful transgression. This year, the Marathon will take place in the Future Zone of the Fair, with a more experimental spirit, in line with Cortázar's own literary explorations. Future Zone also offers, in this edition, virtual reality experiences based on fragments of the short story “House Taken Over” by Julio Cortázar and the novel "The Invention of Morel" by Adolfo Bioy Casares. Regarding the latter writer, who was awarded the Cervantes Prize in 1990, on the 110th anniversary of his birth on September 15, 1914, and the commemoration of the 25th anniversary of his death on March 8, 1999, the exhibition "The Side of Light: Bioy the Photographer," curated by Daniel Martino, will be displayed in the Ochre Pavilion. Furthermore, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of Mafalda, the Ministry of Culture of the Government of the City of Buenos Aires has prepared a tribute to the unforgettable Quino with the participation of Rep, Max Aguirre, and Verónica Ramírez, coordinated by Ronnie Arias. Additionally, there will be public trivia about this iconic Argentine comic strip character and a giant Mafalda for photos.
NEWS II: OTHER VOICES, OTHER SPHERES To the essential Dialogues of Argentine and Latin American Writers, which form a central part of the programming, this year a new space for exchange and reflection is inaugurated, called, precisely, Indigenous Word. Dialogues of Indigenous Writers. For the first time in its history, the Buenos Aires Book Fair, in its 2024 edition, is opening a space specifically dedicated to listening to, interviewing, getting to know, and reading these indigenous writers. They are joined by indigenous writers from other geographies (Chile, Peru, Paraguay, and Canada) for a broad perspective on indigenous literature and reality on the continent. Coordinators: Fabián Martínez Siccardi, Diego Antico, and Fiona Martínez. Programming, photos, and information HERE
NEWS III: CLOSING WITH DEBATE On Sunday, May 12th at 5 PM, a closing debate for the Fair will be held for the first time. Under the slogan “Culture at the Center of the Stage,” this event “will give rise to the issue that concerns us so much: the financing of culture; a debate with a plurality of voices and disciplines that seeks to relaunch the effects of the Fair beyond itself and be an invitation to critical thinking.” This is how Gabriela Saidón and Natalia Zito, coordinators of this initiative, express it. Participants: Beatriz Sarlo, Martín Kohan, Hernán Lombardi, and Lucas Llach. Moderator: María O’Donnell. Photos and information HERE
International Guests Buenos Aires is the cultural epicenter of Latin America, a cosmopolitan city characterized by a rich intellectual activity. During the Fair, this movement intensifies and is enriched by the participation of numerous local authors and guests from abroad. Among the international guests who will participate in this edition are David Foenkinos (France), Luigi Zoja (Italy), Lídia Jorge (Portugal), Zhao Xi (China), Michael O’Loughlin (Ireland), Rosa Oliveira (Portugal), Michi Strausfeld (Germany), Mario Montalbetti (Peru), Pedro Vicuña (Chile), Mónica Ojeda (Ecuador), Joan Garriga Bacardi (Spain), Diamela Eltit (Chile), Elvira Sastre (Spain), Daniela Catrileo (Chile), Alina Gadea (Peru), Sergio Rodrigues (Brazil), Virginia Mórtola (Uruguay), Gemma Ruiz Palá (Spain), among many others. Photos and information HERE
GUEST CITY. LISBON, PURE INSPIRATION A large delegation of writers, illustrators, and musicians will make Lisbon shine as the Guest City of Honor. The program includes poetic voices such as Rosa Oliveira and Frederico Pedreira, imaginary (and real) visits to the world of Fernando Pessoa and José Saramago, and meetings with comic artists and illustrators who are creating a neural network between Lisbon and Buenos Aires. In fact, in the tunnel leading into the Book Fair, you can see the exhibition “Alameda,” which offers a passage into the richness and diversity of Portuguese illustration. And even a replica of the mythical Tram 28 (which travels through Lisbon's most important tourist centers) will be parked in an open space near the tunnel for a virtual tour. With an exquisite program, the activities are not only concentrated at the stand located in the Yellow Pavilion, but a cycle of Portuguese cinema can also be enjoyed in the Leopoldo Lugones Room of the San Martín Theater (between April 30 and May 5), along with a series of activities at the National Library, the Congressional Library, and the Colón Theater. On the Book Fair Night, Saturday, April 27, Lisbon will present a special performance in the José Hernández Room with the participation of the Lisbon Poetry Orchestra (LPO), the multidisciplinary collective that is coming to the Buenos Aires Book Fair with the idea of bringing together different artists for the sonic celebration of literature. The complete program for Lisbon, Guest City of Honor, can be found HERE Must-sees at the fair
International Poetry Festival – From Friday, April 26th to Sunday, April 28th. In its 17th edition, the festival honoring poetic word, coordinated by Jorge Fondebrider, commemorates the centenary of the birth of poet and poetry editor José Luis Mangieri and poet Joaquín Giannuzzi. Throughout its three days, this gathering of poets will feature eight panels with authors from America, Europe, and Asia, along with a large number of Argentine poets, both established and emerging. Program, photos, and information about the participants. HERE
Dialogue of Argentine Writers – From Wednesday, May 1st to Friday, May 3rd. This space echoes new questions about our place in the world and our life together: this ninth edition of the Argentine Writers“ Dialogue seeks to reflect current trends and tensions. ”We will celebrate fiction and non-fiction literature as that force capable of allowing us to glimpse infinite lives in one. Imagining ourselves in another's shoes and turning that distance into an intimate and emotional experience is what allows us to fully understand an experience and emerge transformed. Reading offers us this fabulous exercise in empathy," says its coordinator, Verónica Abdala. Program, photos, and information HERE
Dialogue of Latin American Writers – From Saturday, May 4th to Tuesday, May 7th. In its tenth edition, the Dialogue of Writers from Latin America echoes the concerns and problems shaking the world to discuss them from a regional perspective. “An invisible thread of problems and questions stitches together the debates of this Latin American dialogue. The territory and the realities that are configured within it – marked by political and social violence – seek to glimpse a way out. Staying on their own land or leaving is the first question its inhabitants face. Sometimes it is only possible to flee through imagination, and this can be terrifying. In any case, each story, however small, forges the link in an unstable identity, always under construction,” says coordinator Jorgelina Núñez. Program, photos, and information HERE
Young Readers
As has been proven at this Fair: Young people do read. In fact, attendance at events that bring them together grows every year. That's why the Fair is expanding its cultural offerings for young readers through talks, round tables, readings, poetry recitals, and, of course, the 8th International Bookfluencer Meetup. Under this concept, new social media trends for promoting literature that have emerged in the last three years are being incorporated. There will also be panels and talks to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Movida Juvenil (Youth Movement). Program, photos, and biographies of participants. HERE
HERE ARE THE FAIR BOOTHS
New Neighborhood Seventh Edition For the seventh consecutive year, this innovative space opens, where twelve publishers selected by a jury can exhibit their catalog with benefits within the Fair. The selected participants for NuevoBarrio at the 48th Fair: Colectivo Hallcofra, El hacedor, Indómita luz, La gráfica que habla, Patronus, Carpe Literario, Ediciones del Sur, 188 ruta editorial, Buena Vista, Alastor (Peru), Pez en el hielo (Uruguay), and abducción (Chile).
Pride & Prejudice. Sexual Diversity and Culture Space – East Ochre Pavilion This space this year reclaims the double edge of its essence. It stands not only as a refuge for LGBT+ imagination but also as a trench and a dance floor. 40 years after the publication of “The Sex of the Mad Ones,” Néstor Perlongher's dazzling essay, our space materializes the homage to “crazy sexuality, sexuality that is a flight from normality, that defies and subverts it.” All programming, photos, and information HERE
Federal Stand This space, at the entrance of the Ochre Pavilion, brings together independent writers, the Poetry Zone, National Academies, and special material on Functional Diversity and Disability.
As every year, the Fair will feature more than 400 exhibitors from Argentina and abroad. The complete list HERE
KEY INFORMATION
The 48th Buenos Aires International Book Fair will be held from Thursday, April 25 to Monday, May 13, 2024, at the La Rural Exhibition Center.
Days and Hours: Monday to Friday from 2:00 PM to 10:00 PM. Saturdays, Sundays, and Wednesday, May 1st from 1:00 PM to 10:00 PM. Saturday, April 27th: Due to the Fair Night celebration, the hours will be from 1:00 PM to 12:00 AM (midnight).
Tickets, Promotions, and Discounts Ticket Price Monday through Thursday (except Wednesday, May 1): $3,500 (three thousand five hundred pesos) Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and holidays: $5,000 (five thousand pesos) Three-visit pass: $7,500 (seven thousand five hundred pesos). Available exclusively online. The pass is personal and non-transferable; it allows for one visit per day to the Fair. Tickets can be purchased on this website starting April 25th at the Fair's ticket offices.
Benefits of Purchasing a Ticket: Every visitor who purchases a ticket (for any day) or a pass (for three visits) will receive a $4.000 book voucher to use at participating bookstores once the Fair ends.
Each ticket will also come with discount coupons that can be used to purchase books at the Fair’s booths. Tickets priced at $3,500 will include 3 coupons worth $1,000 each and one coupon worth $500. Tickets priced at $5,000 will include 5 coupons worth $1,000 each.
Each $500 or $1,000 voucher may be used to cover up to 10% of the payment for purchases of $10,000 or more. Vouchers are cumulative; for example, for the purchase of a book priced at $20,000, you can apply a discount of $2,000 using two $1,000 vouchers.
IMPORTANT: If the ticket purchase is made online, the checkbook and discount vouchers must be collected in person at the Fair, by presenting the online ticket at the counters in the Central Hall (Hall 9) or Blue Hall.
Free admission
Daily for minors up to and including 12 years old, school groups, and people with disabilities. Daily for teachers. Must present pay stub or proof of status. Daily with PASE CULTURAL. Monday to Friday (except May 1st) for students, retirees, and pensioners. In all cases, proof of status is required. Saturday, April 27th, Night of the Fair, with free entry from 8 PM.
Entrance doors
The entrance gates and respective ticket offices are located at: Avda. Santa Fe 4201, Avda. Sarmiento 2704 (parking), and Avda. Cerviño 4474 (parking).
The entrance gate on Av. Santa Fe has wheelchairs available for visitors who need them.
Press Room It is located next to the entrance of Plaza Italia - Avda. Santa Fe 4201. Press credentials are issued in the room, and personalized attention is provided to journalists and media.