Spain will be the country of honor at Costa Rica’s 10th Annual Book Fair.

In recent months, San José has significantly increased its cultural offerings. In addition to city staples like the famed Museo de Oro Precolombino (Gold Museum) and colorful Mercado Central (Central Market), the city has come alive with live music, marched with the internationally-renowned CowParade, danced and shopped at the 11th International Arts Festival, and taken part in many other activities best enjoyed during summer’s sunny skies.

But as the rainy season sets in, the country cools down and activities head indoors, and San José’s patrons and caretakers have made sure that josefinos (San José residents) will not be bored. Though often too well-hidden, the city is painted with an array of enjoyable activities ranging from live theater and opera to small art fairs and one-of-a-kind shows. One such event is the Feria del Libro (Book Fair), which will run between June 21-29.

This will be the Book Fair’s tenth year in Costa Rica, and as an anniversary of sorts, it plans to head back to Barrio La California’s Antigua Aduana (the large building just north of the Cine Magaly), where the fair took its first baby steps. Organized by the Costa Rican Book Chamber, Ministry of Culture and the Municipality of San José, the fair hopes to attract approximately 30,000 visitors during its 9-day run.

With less than a month to go, the Feria del Libro has yet to confirm the event’s list of participating authors, editors, and publishing houses. However, the fair’s official schedule is set to come out in about a week, at which time everyone will know what goodies to expect.

Traveling from the unknown into the known, the Ministry of Culture has announced that this year’s guest of honor will be Spain, giving the fair a decidedly Spanish flair. During the Book Fair, Spain will have an official book station to display the works of 15 publishing houses, all of which belong to the Federación de Gremios Editores Españoles. In addition, Spain’s ambassador to Costa Rica, Arturo Reig, confirmed that ten Spanish authors — published novel, poetry, and children’s book authors — will be present at the fair.

For any Spanish literature aficionado, the Book Fair’s guests are sure to impress, among them Luis Landero, one of the greatest contemporary literature authors and award-winning author of Juegos de la edad tardí (1989; Games of the Late Age). In addition, Marcos Ana, whose link to the Communist Party cost him 23 years in Franco-ruled prison, will share his poetry and story with fair attendees.

The tenth San José book fair promises to be a lively event, boasting a beautiful building as its shelter, multi-cultural (and multi-lingual) books as its offerings, and a full schedule of famous authors and happy fans to fill its days. So make sure to mark your calendars and head to the Antigua Aduana for some San José culture and bibliophilic satisfaction between June 21-June 29.

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Filed under: Living on May 28th, 2008