Ricardo Palma Book Fair 2023: Everything you need to know about the literary event in Kennedy Park in Miraflores

Once again, Kennedy Park is transformed into a literary stage prepared to receive lovers of literature in the 44th edition of the Ricardo Palma Book Fair. On this occasion, the Peruvian Chamber of Books not only celebrates the written word with tributes to literary figures who left a mark on the country, but also to artists who found a source of inspiration in books.

With more than 100 stands, the fair will showcase a wide variety of editorial offerings and literary novelties ranging from classics to contemporary works. The cultural programming will cover more than 300 activities aimed at different audiences, from children to adults, consolidating the fair as a meeting space for reflection, learning and connection between writers and readers.

“The infrastructure is different. Now we have 3 auditoriums and we went from 200 to 300 cultural activities. Also for this edition, we give more space to female writers, assigning names of writers to two of our auditoriums”comments the cultural director of the Peruvian Chamber of Books, Melissa Pérez in an interview with El Comercio

In addition to these changes for this new edition, a tribute will be paid to writers such as Julio Ramón Ribeyro on the 50th anniversary of his famous book of short stories “The word of the dumb.” Likewise, tribute will be paid to Blanca Varela for the 45th anniversary of the publication of her poetry collection “Canto Villano” and to Pilar Dughi in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the novel “Puñaleshidescos”. Discussions will also be held in honor of the 190th birthday of Ricardo Palma and the 94th of Julio Ramón Ribeyro, led by scholars of the work of these great authors.

On the other hand, the most striking honorees are the filmmaker Francisco Lombardi, cultural manager Julia Wong and the poet and essayist Marcos Yauri Montero. Posthumous tributes will also be made to the poets José Antonio Sulca and Héctor Ñaupari. “It is important to show that literature also transcends conventional books to enter other artistic manifestations that enrich original works,” explains Pérez.

Cultural connections

The fair lives not only on tributes, but also on meetings with prominent national and international authors. From Argentina, the acclaimed Dolores Reyes, recognized as one of the best Latin American authors, joins the literary festivity with her praised work “Cometierra.” From Mexico comes Mario Bellatin, whose novels play with the limits of reality and fiction. Dolores Reyes, author of “Cometierra”, acclaimed by international media such as the New York Times and El País. From Mexico, figures such as Mario Bellatin, author of notable novels such as “Salón de Belleza”, and Joaquín Peón Iñiguez, featured in the Novísima Breve Hispanoamericana Narrativa, join. The Bolivian Gabriel Mamani, 2019 National Literature Prize in Bolivia, and the theater specialist Yanina Vidal from Uruguay, complement the outstanding list of international guests.

On the national scene, figures such as Jaime Bayly, Giovanna Pollarolo, Violeta Barrientos, Carmen Ollé, Gloria Cáceres, Alonso Cueto, Augusto Tamayo, Chonon Bensho and Olga Montero will be present. In addition to literature, this new edition will offer musical and theatrical shows, which will provide more color to this event. “And not only that, we will also have zamacueca, marinera, boleros and guarachas dances. “We want to provide an experience that sometimes we cannot see elsewhere, but this time it is found at the fair that seeks to provide a complete cultural experience.”concludes Pérez.