Discover the Charm of Coyoacán and Its 2024 International Book Fair

The Center of Coyoacán is an iconic location in Mexico City. Walking through its cobblestone streets, exploring its alleys and narrow roads, and admiring the architecture of its houses and buildings is a delight. However, it brings together a series of elements that distinguish it from other similar spaces in the city: the Parish of San Juan Bautista, Hidalgo Plaza with its fountain adorned with coyote statues, the kiosk, the restaurants, cafes, bookstores, and ice cream shops on the surrounding streets, and the cultural centers. If one needs an excuse to visit this place, the Coyoacán International Book Fair 2024 provides it.

In Hidalgo Plaza, the third edition of this fair took place. Tents were set up to accommodate 180 exhibitors (publishers, bookstores, and independent projects), as well as conferences, discussion panels, conversations, book presentations, and workshops. The diversity of workshops ranged from origami, watercolor, and drawing to bookbinding, paper masks, and papier-mâché. Other activities included storytelling, concerts, dance performances, and dramatic readings. All these activities were free and open to the public.

The State of Guanajuato was a guest at this fair, presenting its editorial project that aims to give voice to various proposals under the direction of the State Institute of Culture of Guanajuato and its publishing house Ediciones La Rana. Likewise, the Francophonie was invited. Due to political agendas in the country, this collaboration took place in January with representatives from the embassies of France, Canada, Switzerland, Belgium, and Haiti, celebrating Francophone culture and arts in Coyoacán and reading the book “The Rooster and the Serpent.” This title compiles poems introducing contemporary French poetry to Mexico, drawing an analogy between the rooster (France) and the serpent (Mexico).

Among the exhibitors, Mango Manila Editorial stood out with a simple yet effective strategy: they set up children’s tables and chairs with books at a child’s height, precisely targeting their material to them. Also, with a desire to engage children in journalism, the newspaper La Crónica coordinated an activity where children were given vests and microphones to interview the exhibitors. For attendees of all ages, they offered another attractive activity: taking photos and printing them on the front page of a newspaper.

La Cartonera found its place in the Espacio M tent, dedicated to artist books, book objects, and self-published editions. Their titles are as varied as their authors, focusing primarily on poetry, novels, short stories, and some translations, uniquely bound in cardboard with hand-painted covers, giving each copy exclusive identity and value. In the same tent, Pedro de Jesús led an ex libris stamping activity, sharing his work from Cuernavaca at the fair.

The week assigned for visiting this fair may seem short, considering all the activities, but it promises to be an annual event. We hope it continues to bring many more activities, talks, concerts, readings, workshops, and, most importantly, books to the public.

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