FIL Guadalajara donates 75 thousand euros to the publishing sector of Valencia

As a gesture of solidarity and commitment to the Valencian book sector, which has been affected since last October by the floods caused by the meteorological phenomenon known as DANA (Isolated Depression at High Levels), the Guadalajara International Book Fair, Mexico (FIL) donated part of the box office receipts for its 38th edition, in which Spain was the Guest Country of Honor.

The support of 75 thousand euros (around one million 600 thousand Mexican pesos) was delivered through the Association of Editors of the Valencian Country (AEPV), with the aim of benefiting 43 publishers, 11 bookstores, 10 municipal public libraries and 45 school libraries. The latter are divided into 29 libraries in Early Childhood and Primary Education centers, nine in Secondary Education Institutes, three in Special Education centers, one in Vocational Training, one in Adult Training Center and two libraries in nursery schools.

It is worth noting that, according to the Barometer of Reading and Book Buying Habits in Spain 2024, the traditional bookstore was chosen by 44% of Spaniards as the main channel for purchasing non-text books. On the other hand, attendance at libraries has not yet recovered after the pandemic, however it has shown an increase.
Last year, 28.8% of the population went to these institutions.

The award ceremony was attended by Ricardo Villanueva Lomelí, general rector of the University of Guadalajara; María Vicenta Mestre Escrivá, rector of the University of Valencia; Karla Alejandrina Planter Pérez, elected rector of the UdeG; Marisol Schulz Manaut, general director of the FIL Guadalajara; María José Gálvez Salvador, Director General of Books, Comics and Reading of the Ministry of Culture of Spain, and Àfrica Ramírez Olmos, President of the Association of Editors of the Valencian Country.

During her speech, Schulz Manaut recalled that, since the founding of the Fair in 1987, many publishers from Spain and practically all of its communities have been fundamental allies of this meeting. “At the Guadalajara International Book Fair we firmly believe in the transformative power of books and reading. In this case, with direct support to the publishing sector, we want to join in the reconstruction of cultural life in Valencia,” she stressed.

For her part, Ramírez Olmos expressed her deep gratitude and called Guadalajara, Mexico “a sister city that embraced Valencia and demonstrated that culture has no borders.”

Mestre Escrivá also thanked the donation and assured that this act of solidarity will remain in her memory as rector and Valencian.

Planter Pérez stressed “Solidarity and brotherhood know no borders and our responsibility as institutions is to strengthen these ties. This donation is a kind of embrace and support for all the people affected in Valencia. We want you to know that you are not alone, the University of Guadalajara and the FIL are with you.”

After the delivery ceremony, a delegation led by Ana Camarasa, professor of Geography at the University of Valencia, visited the damaged areas to learn about the dimensions of the disaster and the reconstruction actions. The intervention carried out by the Military Emergency Unit was also shown and there was dialogue with representatives of community recovery projects, such as the rescue of personal photographs in the affected areas.

The FIL Guadalajara is one of the most important literary and cultural festivals in the world, it is a platform for Ibero-American publishers, as well as a fundamental meeting point for book professionals.

The Valencian delegation was present at this book festival in 2024 with a special programme in homage to the poet Vicent Andrés Estellés.

With the donation, both institutions reaffirm their commitment to culture and their agency in social change, in times of adversity.