Culture Bookstore Inaugurated in Colonial Zone

Culture Bookstore Inaugurated in Colonial Zone
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic 7/31/2011

The new Culture Bookstore, with an ample offering of books by Dominican writers, opened in Colonial City, under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture. The Bookstore is located at 2 Las Atarazanas Street in the Colonial Zone.

“In seven years of hard work, our six publishing houses, Ediciones de Cultura, Editora Ferilibro, Editora Nacional, Rumbo Norte, Rumbo Sur and Rumbo Este have published 270 authors whose work forms part of a catalogue of 342 book titles which, starting today, will be available to the public in this bookstore at very low prices.

This opening ceremony was presided over by Culture Minister, José Rafael Lantigua, who was accompanied by Father Luis Rosario, Coordinator of the Youth Ministry of the Church; deputy ministers of Culture, Alexander Santana and Mateo Morrison; Valentín Amaro, Director of the National System of Literary Workshops and Director of the new Bookstore.

Also present was León Félix Batista, director of the Editora Nacional (National Publishing House); Basilio Belliard, director de Ediciones de Cultura (Culture Publications) and Pedro Antonio Valdez, director of Ediciones Ferilibro (Ferilibro Publications).

In his speech, Culture Minister Lantigua said: “In seven years of hard work, our six publishing houses, Ediciones de Cultura, Editora Ferilibro, Editora Nacional, Rumbo Norte, Rumbo Sur and Rumbo Este have published 270 authors whose work forms part of a catalogue of 342 book titles which, starting today, will be available to the public in this bookstore at very low prices. We will also sell books from all other Dominican writers. Each month we will liquidate everything in the shop free of charge, only asking that people donate at least 2 books to the National Public Library System.”

He also pointed out that “this area of Atarazanas Street will be turned into a cultural circuit. We have installed the General Directorate of Folklore; they are working on the restoration of the Naval Museum of Atarazanas and soon we intend to open an Artisans Shop with the support of the Office of the First Lady. On October 21st , in conjunction with the National District Town Hall, we plan to inaugurate the Salomé Ureña de Henríquez Plaza with a big statue of the late educator and poet.”

In his speech, Valentín Amaro explained that “after the experience we had at the Dominican Writers Pavilion at the International Book Fair, we realized it was necessary to create a permanent space for exhibiting and selling the more than 300 published books we have on hand through the Culture Ministry’s publishing houses. Also, we are responding to a demand from Dominican writers who, once their book is published, need a space to promote it.”

“The Culture Bookshop will not just be a place to sell Dominican books but will become a place for writers and readers to meet,” added Amaro.

Following the opening words, the event organizers moved on to the cutting of the ribbon and the blessing of the new Bookstore, which has lots of space and a comfortable area for exhibitions and books sales. There is also an interior patio for literary gatherings, book club meetings, recitals, poetry readings, book launches and film screenings.

The strategic location of the store will also encourage tourists to visit the Colonial Zone as well as local book lovers. To achieve the former, tour operators in the Zone are being asked to include the Bookstore in its tour of the area.
The Bookstore will be open to the public from Monday to Saturday from 8 AM to 6 PM.