While many Tapatios hope the coronavirus menace will be long gone come December, the Universidad de Guadalajara (UdG) is taking no chances with its massive annual literary event, the International Book Fair (FIL).
The ten-day bash is the second largest book fair in the world and attracts around 800,000 visitors. At certain times, book enthusiasts pack into the Expo Guadalajara like sardines. With social distancing almost impossible and the handling and re-handling of literary tomes by visitors the norm, the potential for virus transmission is huge.
Raúl Padilla, president of the FIL’s organizing committee, this week outlined contingency plans for the 2020 event, scheduled November 28 to December 6.
“In principle, we plan to have the same number of authors, writers and thinkers,” Padilla said at a press conference.
While the aim will be to maintain the fair at its normal size, Padilla conceded that the event may have to be split into two venues.
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