Sixth Dominican Book Fair in NY Breaks Sales Records

Sixth Dominican Book Fair in NY Breaks Sales Records
New York, USA  10/1/2012

Upper Manhattan again became the cultural capital of the Dominican Republic during the celebration of the VI Dominican Book Fair in New York City, which was attended by the Dominican diaspora community en masse. Thousands of books were sold and there were more than one hundred activities.

The inaugural ceremony was held with a musical show at the United Palace Theatre, one of the most important stages of New York, with artists Sergio Vargas, Manuel Jiménez and Pavel Núñez.

The fair, considered to be the most momentous eventheld by the Dominican Republic’sMinistry of Culture outside the country through the Dominican Cultural Commission in the United States, was held on 28, 29 and 30 of September at Boricua College. It was dedicated to the writers Dinorah Coronado and César Sánchez Beras, for their contributions to national children’s literature.

The show also paid tribute to Dominican writers living in New Jersey, represented by Elsa Batista,ElcidesAguasVivas, José Isidro Rodríguez and Ernesto Julio Cordero, who led a broad program that included book launches, readings and lectures.

The inaugural ceremony was held with a musical show at the United Palace Theatre, one of the most important stages of New York, with artists Sergio Vargas, Manuel Jiménez and Pavel Núñez.

Also on stage were local artists Cynthia la Cruz and JeankarlosNúñez. The latter wrote a song usingthis year’s slogan for the fair: “Reading helps you grow.”

The keynote address was given by Dominican Minister of Culture, José Antonio Rodríguez, who revealed that the cultural plan of President Danilo Medina includes the appreciation of Dominican diaspora culture.

The Dominican Cultural Commissioner in the United States, Carlos Sánchez, highlighted the growth in numbers of participants and the quality of the fair, and thanked the sponsors and volunteers who supported itthis year. “We had a magnificent fair, whichbroke all attendance and book sales records,” said Sánchez.

Similarly, the opening of the fair included a red carpet on whichimportantnational and international cultural and artistic figures paraded, including Dominican intellectuals and writers MarcioVelozMaggiolo, René Rodríguez Soriano, Luis Brea Franco and Eugenio García Cuevas, professor at the University of Puerto Rico.

The official opening of the VI Dominican Book Fair in New York was held in the forecourt of Boricua College, with the children’s ballet from the dance school of professor Elizabeth González. Minister of Culture José Antonio Rodríguez, Commissioner of Culture and fair director Carlos Sánchez, and José Hernández from Boricua College attended the fair with many others.

The closing ceremony was held at the headquarters of the Dominican Cultural Commission, during which the winner of the Youth Award for high school students was announced and presented to 17-year-old Felipe Luna of Chile. The Award for the Dominican Book Fair in New York was presented to Erasmo Lara Peña, for his work “Hints and notes fromeducational psychology for teachers.”

Every night, following the fair events, the Bohemian Café in the restaurant at 809 Dyckman Street in Manhattan was open with artistic performances by singers, musicians, poets and play wrights.

Dominican Minister of Culture José Antonio Rodríguez cuts the ribbon to open the VI Dominican Book Fair in New York, at Boricua College, with Commissioner of Culture in the United States Carlos Sánchez and the honored writers Dinorah Coronado and Cesar Sánchez Beras, among other personalities.