Lula at the opening of the Bogotá International Book Fair: "Reading puts us in the other people's shoes"

With 29 Brazilian writers, a delegation of 90 guests and more than 50 intellectuals, Brazil is the country being honored at the 36th edition of the Bogotá International Book Fair (FILBo). The official opening of the event on Wednesday in Colombia was attended by President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and was part of the Brazilian head of state's extensive agenda in the country.

Literature knows no borders. Books have the extraordinary power to transport us to other realities, broaden horizons and put us in the other people’s shoes"

Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, President of the Republic

"Literature knows no borders. Books have the extraordinary power to transport us to other realities, broaden horizons and put us in the other people’s shoes," exalted the president in his speech.

The fair runs until May 2 and is Colombia's greatest publishing and cultural event, with an estimated audience of more than 600,000 people. With the motto "Reading Nature", the fair marks not only cultural exchanges between Brazil and Colombia, but a deepening of bilateral relations between the countries. 

» President Lula's speech in full
» Photos from the opening of the Bogotá International Book Fair (Flickr)
» Photos of President Lula's visit to the Brazilian pavilion at the Book Fair (Flickr)

To read is to be free, even when they physically try to isolate and imprison us, because the struggle for a fairer country, a dignified life and a united Latin America persists despite those who seek to obstruct the progress of our region. We need more books and fewer guns. More knowledge, education, science and innovation. I would like to thank Colombia for honoring Brazilian literature at the Bogotá Book Fair.

"The motto of this edition of FILBo exposes the folly of the Western dichotomy between the world of man and the world of nature, which is leading us to a climate catastrophe. This is the warning issued by our dear Aílton Krenak, a participant in this fair and the first indigenous person in over 125 years to occupy a seat in the Brazilian Academy of Letters," said the Brazilian president.

"Today we are signing a cooperation agreement that will build bridges between our countries. We look forward with enthusiasm to the opportunities for exchange, learning and collaboration that will arise from this fair," said the president, who pointed out the importance in current Brazilian literature of representatives of sectors that have always been marginalized and are taking the lead in narrating their experiences in the first person.

"The Brazilian delegation includes authors such as Luciany Aparecida, Daniel Munduruku, Daiara Tukano, Eliane Potiguara, Eliane Marques, Geovane Martins and Jefferson Costa, giving voice to the indigenous and Afro-descendant identity shared by our two countries," the president said.

As a way of returning the tribute to Brazil, Lula informed that Colombia will be honored at the São Paulo Book Biennial in September this year. In addition to President Lula, the opening ceremony was attended by Minister Margareth Menezes (Culture) and Minister Silvio Almeida (Human Rights and Citizenship), as well as the Colombian Minister of Culture, Juan David Correa.

PAVILION – Brazil has a 3,000 square meter space where visitors can immerse themselves in the works of established and emerging Brazilian authors, exploring the country's cultural diversity and biomes, with an emphasis on the Amazon. The pavilion offers an immersion in Brazilian culture and promotes conversations about Afro-descendant narratives and experiences, especially during the Afro Cycle, between April 22 and 27.

The space will be used to exhibit books by Brazilian authors. The Ministry of Culture will be present with a major cultural program, curated by the poet Stephany Borges. This will be the third time that Brazil has been honored at the fair, following the 1995 and 2012 editions.

Events are planned to promote Brazilian literature, cinema, photography and music, which will feature dozens of Brazilian writers and artists, as well as publishers, booksellers, mediators and reading promoters who will take part in professional journeys, business roundtables and meetings to promote reading and literature.

AUTHORS – Ailton Krenak, Amílcar Bettega, André Miranda, Auritha Tabajara, Bernardo Carvalho, Bia Barros, Daiara Tukano, Daniel Munduruku, Eliane Marques, Eliane Potiguara, Estevão Azevedo, Evando Nascimento, Gabriel Góes, Gabriela Güllich, Geovane Martins, Guilherme Gontijo Flores, Jefferson Costa, João Carrascoza, Juliana Russo, Luciany Aparecida, Marcelino Freire, Marcello Quintanilha, Mário Araújo, Paulliny Tort, Rafael Coutinho, Raphael Montes, Rita Carelli, Roger Mello and the literary program's guest author Ángela Cuartas will contribute to the dissemination of Brazilian literature.

The Federal Government will also be taking publishers, booksellers, mediators and reading promoters to take part in the professional journeys, business roundtables and meetings to promote reading and literature. Brazil's participation in FILBo 2024 is the result of an inter-ministerial action between the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MRE), through the Guimarães Rosa Institute, the Brazilian Embassy in Bogotá, the National Library Foundation (Fundação Biblioteca Nacional - FBN) and the Brazil Colombia Culture Institute (Instituto de Cultura Brasil Colômbia - Ibraco).