Keynote Speakers Series Main Course at this Year’s Book Fair

Keynote Speakers Series Main Course at this Year’s Book Fair
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic  4/14/2012

Nuclear Physicist, Fidel Castro Díaz-Balart, will be featured on the first day of the International Book Fair, Thursday April 19th, as part of the Keynote Speakers Series of this year’s spectacular event which opened on April 18^th.

To register, please go to: http://www.thedialogue.org/

The Cuban scientist’s lecture will be on “Contemporary Science in an Unequal World” (“La ciencia contemporánea en un mundo desigual”), kicking off this year’s series of scientific conferences being offered at the International Book Fair ( FIL in Spanish), which is emphasizing science in this year’s programming. Fidel Castro Díaz-Balart’s lecture is being held at the Carlos Piantini Hall of the Eduardo Brito National Theater at 8 PM.

Argentine writer, Jorge Bucay, will discuss “Possible Happiness”  (“La felicidad posible”) at the Aida Bonelly de Díaz Hall of the National Theater at 8 PM on Friday the 20th. Mr. Bucay is the author of  “Cartas para Claudia”, “Cuentos para pensar” and “El mito de la diosa Fortuna,” among many other books. Bucay is considered the biggest-selling Spanish language writer in the world with over 5 million books sold.

The renowned Mexican novelist and essayist, Sealtiel Alatriste, will be next in the Keynote Speakers Series with his dissertation “Oración Caribe,” to be given at the Aida Bonelly de Díaz Hall of the National Theater on Saturday the 21^st.

On Monday, the 23rd, famous Argentine photographer Daniel Mordzinsky, will give his conference, “Los rostros de la escritura. 15 historias fotográficas para una memoria visual de las letras,” (The Faces of Writing. 15 Historic Photos for a Visual Memory of Writing). Mordzinsky has recently published “Ultimas noticias del Sur” (Latest News from the South) along with Chilean writer, Luis Sepúlveda.

Nicaraguan novelist, Sergio Ramírez’s lecture “Cuaderno de encargos. Los oficios compartidos de la escritura y la política,” (Notebooks of Tasks. The Shared Skill of Writing and Politics), will take place on Tuesday April 24th.  Author of “Castigo Divino” and “Margarita, está linda la mar,” Sergio Ramírez is considered to be one of the most relevant literary luminaries of Latin America.

On Wednesday, Carmen Ruiz Barrionuevo, Spanish American Literature Professor at Spain’s prestigious Salamanca University, will give a lecture on “Juan Ramón Jiménez and the Group of Origins.” This activity will take place in the auditorium of the Museum of Modern Art at 8 PM on April 25^th.

Carlos María Romero Sosa, literary critic and essayist from Argentina, will talk about “Rubén Darío and Argentina” on Thursday, the 26th in the Aída Bonelly Hall at 8 PM.

The following day, Friday, Cuban novelist and resident of Barcelona, Abilio Estévez will discuss “Noche tropical: Guillermo Cabrera Infante y el bolero” in the Aída Bonelly Hall at 8 PM. Estévez wrote, among other novels, “Tuyo es el reino”, “Los palacios distantes”, “Inventario secreto de La Habana” and “El año del Calipso.”

On Wednesday, May 2nd, Professor Eva Guerrero of Salamanca University, will talk about “The Importance of the Dominican Republic in the Critical Work of Pedro Henríquez Ureña.” This will take place at the Museum of Modern Art.

Once again at the Aída Bonelly Hall on May 3rd, the Keynote Speakers Series will host well-known Cuban-Puerto Rican novelist, Mayra Montero who will talk about “La sensualidad del prócer: un ‘tiguere’ en la corte de Catalina la Grande.” Ms. Montero is the author of such best sellers as “Del rojo de su sombra”, “La última noche que pasé contigo” and “Tú, la oscuridad.”

This series will conclude on Friday, May 4th in the Aida Bonelly Hall at 8 PM with a conference to be given by Uruguayan poet Eduardo Milán on “Latin American Poetry of Today: Admissions” (“Poesía latinoamericana de ahora: entradas”). Milán, who is also a poetry anthologist, is the author of numerous books including “Nervadura”, “Pan para las hormigas” and “Veredas a los modos de un bosque.”

(No invitations are necessary to attend any of the Keynote Speakers Series. Admission is free and open to the public).

Fidel Castro Díaz-Balart

Sergio Ramírez

Jorge Bucay

Daniel Mordzinsky