Venezuela Becoming “A Nation of Readers”

Venezuela’s International Book Fair arrives in Caracas tomorrow. It has toured all 24 of the country’s states, and makes its final stop Friday in Parque Los Caobos.

The fourth annual event involves more than just the buying and selling of books — it also includes educational events and workshops on a wealth of topics, including science fiction writing, fantasy literature, and publishing alternative media. More than 400 writers and artists from 20 countries are participating, as well as 150 different publishers.

The International Book Fair celebrates the achievements of the many thousands of students and educators who helped make Venezuela an “illiteracy free territory” in 2003. Social programs in education have indeed increased the country’s demand for books.

The President of the National Book Center, Marisela Guevara, says the fair shows that Venezuela is becoming “a nation of readers.” Read more in Spanish here.

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Venezuelan Children’s Book Brings Color to the Blind

A new and innovative children’s book from Venezuela has just come out in English and is delighting U.S. readers both young and old. It is called “The Black Book of Colors” (El libro negro de los colores).

The story, by authors Menena Cotin and Rosana Faria, offers a vibrant description of colors — for example, “red is sour like unripe strawberries and as sweet as watermelon.” Textured pictures and braille make the book thrillingly accessible to young people who are visually impaired.

The School Library Journal calls it “Fascinating, beautifully designed, and possessing broad child appeal, this book belongs on the shelves of every school or public library committed to promoting disability awareness and accessibility.” Want to know more? Check out a Washington Post review, see more pictures, or buy it on Amazon.

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Venezuela Launches Online Library of Latin Literature

Thanks to Venezuela’s Ministry of Culture, many classic works of Latin American literature are now available online for free.

To check it out, visit Biblioteca Ayacucho. You can download PDFs files of books in Spanish ranging in publication date from the early 17th century to the late 20th century. Many famous Venezuelan writers are included in this digital “book shelf”: essayists Simón Bolívar, Andrés Bello, Francisco de Miranda, and Rufino Blanco Fombona; poets Manuel Díaz Rodríguez, Jose Antonio Ramos Sucre, and Gustavo Pereira.

Another writer represented in the online collection is the Cuban visionary, José Martí. His essay, “Our America” is a critique of the U.S. written during his exile in New York in the late 1800s. Don’t judge them by their covers, for these are crucial books: some were banned in their day, and others were the basis for key political ideologies (e.g. pan-Americanism, indigenism, or socialism).

Once again, Venezuela is leading the way in democratizing access to culture!

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