Those readers suffering from FIL (Guadalajara International Book Fair) withdrawal just days after it came to a conclusion may ween themselves off their jones with some information regarding next year’s edition, along with a wrap-up of this year’s highlights.
The invited guest for FIL 2018 will be Portugal, signifying, perhaps, that a sinister influence is being exerted upon the book fair by some sort of Iberian cabal; this year’s guest was Madrid, Spain.
Overall attendance at this year’s FIL was 814,833, up from 800,821 in 2016. In fact, this year trumped last in most respects, including number of editorial houses, writers, attendees at FIL Niños and participating members of the press. The only notable exception was the number of literary agents, which dropped to 205 from 319 in 2016. Perhaps that drop represents the amount of agents who had decided to represent YouTube sensations and popular Instagrammers (whee!) instead of authors (yawn).
Books themselves – or their authors – not being enough to get butts in seats these days amidst so much digital doohickery, FIL took care to spangle itself with a galaxy of extra-literary decorations. These included a roster of musical acts, art shows (see story facing page), and several crowd-pleasing stunts scattered among the FIL’s endless expanse, including a Game of Thrones booth where fans got their photos taken seated upon the famous sword-encrusted throne.
Judging from the fair’s growth from last year in terms of both offerings and attendance, next year’s event should be even more packed with a variety of entertainments, be they book-related or not. Keep your eyes peeled via their website, fil.com.mx. Matt Fink