Dominican Cultural Commission Announces Upcoming XI Dominican Book Fair in New York 2018

New York, September 11, 2018 — The Dominican Ministry of Culture’s Cultural Commission in the United States announced that it will celebrate its XI Dominican Book Fair from October 12-14 in New York City. The event will take place in George Washington High School, in upper Manhattan.
Dominican Minister of Culture, architect Eduardo Selman, will head the official delegation that will formally open the event. Other members of the delegation will be writer Cayo Claudio Espinal and Vice Minister of Culture and Billy Hasbún, the Ministry’s Director of International Relations.

This year the XI Book Fair in New York will honor one of the country’s most relevant individuals: writer and politician Professor Juan Bosch.
Commissioner Carlos Sánchez explained: “In honor of this renowned writer and politician, who wrote most of his works while living abroad, various events will be held. One will be the conference ‘The Various Births of Juan Bosch in my Memory,’ by Mateo Morrison, awarded with the country’s National Literature Award 2010 and the panel ‘Professor Juan Bosch and the Art of Short Story Writings,’ with the participation of distinguished Dominican writers.”
In his remarks, Sánchez thanked Professor Juan Villar, principal of the Media and Communications (M463) High School; the George Washington High School; the school’s Parents Association, headed by Dulce Méndez and coordinator Delsa González, “for offering the educational center so that we could celebrate the book and cultural fair.”

During the Fair, cultural activists and writers Gladys Montolío and Berkis Contreras will be honored with the presentation of a mural that depicts the work they have carried out during the past years to further the event.
For the first time the Fair will also recognize, as an initiative of the Minister of Culture Eduardo Selman, the work carried out by Dominican visual artists who live in the United States. During the event, an announcement will be made during the Fair’s First Visual Arts event, which will feature paintings, drawings, mixed art and photography. The works chosen will be exhibited in the school during the weekend, while the works of the winners will be displayed at the Commissioner’s Hall of Events.
At the same time, the Book Fair Award will once again be issued to the best literature work launched at the Fair and presented at the Office of the Commissioner. Another major highlight will be the Fourth Short Feature Film Festival and the VII Youth Poetry and Short Story Contest for high school students.

The Fair is considered to be the most transcendental events sponsored by the Ministry of Culture outside the country. In the United States, the Fair is organized by the Dominican Cultural Commission. The opening ceremony is scheduled for Friday, October 12, at the George Washington High School Auditorium. The opening event will honor the Dominican merengue, declared by UNESCO as an Immaterial Cultural Patrimony of Humanity. Milly Quezada, the Queen of Merengue, will open the event.
Also, with the theme “Reading Opens Borders,” the Fair – which is visited each year by thousands – will provide the Spanish-speaking community in the U.S. the opportunity to come in contact with the varied and very rich Dominican bibliography.
Visitors will be able to visit different pavilions where important events will be taking place. For example, at the Children’s Pavilion, hosted by Dominican writer Elizabeth Balaguer, children and their families will have the opportunity to share experiences with the authors, enjoy book readings, play games, enjoy arts and crafts activities, enjoy face painting activities and receive gifts.
The Movie Pavilion, headed by Peddy García, will feature representatives from the country’s film industry. The History Pavilion will be headed by Dr. Luisa Navarro, head of the History and Anthropology Department of the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo. The Pavilion’s agenda will include important and relevant issues. The Youth Pavilion, headed by Angie Regina, will sponsor workshops, readings and special discussions.

“The names of the winners of the literary contest for high school students will be announced. It will be coordinated by writer Rubén Sánchez Féliz”, explained Sánchez. “Our goal is to encourage high school students to surround themselves with the wonderful world of literature, and that they visit and participate in the fair,” he added.
The Fair will be held at 549 Audubon Avenue, at George Washington High School, beginning at 10 a.m. on Saturday, October 13. The closing event will be on Sunday, October 14, at 8 p.m., at the school’s auditorium, featuring the play ‘Yago’, directed by Fausto Rojas, from the National Theatre Company of the Dominican Republic. The play won the country’s top award in its category in 2018.
Sánchez explained that during the weekend the Fair will host some 100 events, and more than 80 writers, academics, cultural representatives and personalities will participate.
“We invite the community to continue supporting the Dominican Book Fair in New York, which is the greatest cultural event hosted by the country. Also, that writers and cultural activists become involved as volunteers during the event, so that they could work with us in the operational aspects,” added Sanchez.
For more information, please visit: www.codocul.com, or call (212) 234-8149, or write to: info@codocul.com.