Breathe
By Mariana Conde
Whoever thinks that FIL Guadalajara is only for writers does not know what they are missing.
The FIL is, above all, for readers. And readers of all kinds, from children to fans of manga, historical novels, romantasy or the enormous literary criticism mammoth books that intimidate us so much from their covers. You don't need to be a literate or even a great reader to enjoy what the fair has to offer.
I would venture to say that it is the perfect place for the uninitiated to read. While the immensity of offerings can be overwhelming, I think it is difficult to come here for the first time and not fall in love with books. It is an eminently human space, one that intoxicates our innate curiosity and where you can find a volume on any subject that interests you and discover others that you didn't know you might be interested in.
School groups descend in hordes from their trucks, excited surely to break the routine and have a day of semi-painting, but I want to believe that also at the prospect of getting in this space of 43,000 square meters, a summary of the world brought to their hands by so many publishers, authors and guest countries.
The FIL is not only about literature, it also addresses issues of importance to humanity in general and presents books on a wide range of topics. It is notorious the space given to issues of sustainability, human rights, gender equality, science, economics and politics.
Seeing this, it is impossible to deny that education and books are something desirable for every citizen, for every Mexican, and it perplexes us that in the last six years the FIL has been branded as an event of right-wing conservatives and that, in a huge show of repudiation of knowledge, they have distanced themselves from it. Sadly, this line of non-thinking continues and in this edition of the Guadalajara FIL it was notorious that no representative of the federal government showed up at the opening of the world's largest market for Spanish-language publications, one that represents an economic flow of more than 330 million US dollars in each edition. If not for cultural reasons, it would be in their economic interest to do so.
None of this diminishes the enjoyment of those of us who suffer from bibliophilia, or FIL-ia? What better way to cope with the frustrating reality in our country -and around the world- than to escape to a book, to thousands of books?
If only for a few days, I take refuge among the corridors flanked by endless towers of paper and ink that hold endless universes to be discovered, battles to be fought, private thoughts, loves, betrayals; life and death.
It is difficult to explain the FOMO I feel when I see the program of presentations, colloquiums and conferences and realize that I cannot unfold and attend more than one at the same time and that I will never know if the one I chose is better than the one I passed up. I marvel at every talk on the importance or uselessness of thinking about the body in times of the end of the world, toxic relationships in literature or the presence of Hispanic literature in the Nordic countries. And where else would I have the opportunity to ask questions to favorite authors and greet old friends of letters, real or imaginary.
I am here, there is nothing that seems to me more important and real than what is exhibited and discussed in this meeting. It is the opportunity not only to describe and interpret realities but to critique them, to step outside of them and think about how we would like to reconfigure them.
For a few days, always too short, the outside world can wait.
The opinions expressed are the responsibility of the authors and are absolutely independent of the position and editorial line of the company. Opinion 51.
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