FILBO 2024: The Bogotá International Book Fair

Literature, culture, art, and the entire commercial dynamic around books is what converges at FILBO, the Bogotá International Book Fair, which takes place annually in the capital of Colombia; one of the most important cultural and literary meetings in the Spanish-speaking world and a benchmark in Latin America.

For 36 years, the fair has brought together all the actors in the book chain: authors, proofreaders, editors, distributors, and book lovers from all over the world. From April 17 to May 2, the event takes place at the Corferias fairgrounds, a place of 50,000 square meters and 23 pavilions, all dedicated to the exhibition and sale of books, artistic exhibitions, the production of conferences, talks, discussions, and launches of new literary works.

In this new edition, the fair dedicates cultural and academic programming to nature, the importance of the earth, and the alternative ways of life proposed by the natural world.

In the heart of the fairgrounds, there is a pavilion called “I read for nature,” a place where the public is guided through the five representative ecosystems of the Colombian capital, Bogotá, with more than 200 activities such as interactive tours that will include moors and rivers, workshops, conversations, and dramatized readings, all focused on reflection on the relationship between nature, culture and citizen identity.

Considering that this year the theme of the fair is nature, what better country as special guest than the one with exceptional natural wealth, extensive biodiversity and the Amazon, which at the same time is the region with which Brazil and Colombia share a broad border. In the Brazil pavilion, number 4 of Corferias, visitors can explore artistic displays, literature and Brazilian culture.

In previous years, this fair has hosted more than 600,000 attendees in its 15 days. People from all over the country, from Latin America and the world, come to the FILBO to immerse themselves in the dynamics of the literary world, to listen to their favorite authors, buy their books, and live the experience of entering the pages of Colombian culture.

More than 160 national and international guests participate in the 36th edition of the fair with talks, conferences, discussions, workshops and book signings, including writers such as Mario Mendoza, Irene Vallejo, Margarita Serje, Erna von der Walde, Amalia Andrade, Satoshi Kitamura, Efrén Martínez, Rosa Montero, among many other names.

In addition to being a transcendental showcase for exhibitors, the event becomes a business center, the epicenter of sales for the global publishing industry. This year, a business fair was held in which the different actors in the book chain, such as editors, agents, translators, librarians, and distributors from several countries, met not only to coordinate the purchase and sale of books but also to publish and translation rights.

The FILBO is a unique platform to disseminate and promote literature in all its forms; cultural and linguistic diversity are the focus, and reflection on issues of political, cultural, and environmental interest enriches the agenda without leaving aside one of the most important purposes for a fair like this, the promotion of reading and literacy.

The cost of the entrance ticket to the fair varies each year; in 2024, it is 12.000 Colombian pesos, equivalent to approximately $3. The purpose of the fair by 2025 is to become a benchmark for books and reading across the horizons of Latin America, to consolidate itself as a meeting point for the world literary community, and to continue hosting and inspiring all those who find in reading their passion, their refuge and the necessary stimulus for the imagination.