The 35th edition of the Book Fair was held in Roldan and Marin, and saw a more than satisfactory balance by the Provincial Association of Bookstores and Stationery of Jaen. A sector that had suffered from the effects of the pandemic saw its prospects improve with the return to the street. They were restricted to closed premises and had low incomes in the most difficult parts of their confinement. This gave them hope, and encouraged online sales in many cases.
We are happy because the Book Fair has received a tremendous boost from all of the organizers, including institutions, sponsors, and the general public. Francisco Gonzalez, president of The Provincial Association of Bookstores and Stationery Stores, stated that they believe this is the best way forward.
The 35th edition saw a total of 98 activities, and an estimated 1,925 people attended. There were 37 book presentations, meetings with authors, 22 signings, and 14 children’s activities. Another 21 included the proclamation of Emilio Lara. Other activities included concerts, dramatized readings, tourist routes, batucada and awards ceremony.
Marin and Roldan were both close enough to the readers that they had to be there. There has been a lot more movement. They spoke with us and said that this fair is more visible. Gonzalez said that all this and the wonderful reception encourages us to believe that this project will continue to be successful over time.
Economically, the balance for 2022 produced positive data. This resulted in 2,402 books being sold, which is 40% more than the previous edition. Children’s was the most popular genre in commercial bookstores. Next came Novels and Self-help.
Nono Granero’s ‘The Wormholes’ and Cherry Chic’s ‘When the stars break and the stars fall’ were the most popular titles from Jaen. In Children-Youth, ‘Roma Soy Yo’ was written by Santiago Posteguillo. Marian Rojas wrote ‘Find your Vitamin Person’. Self-help was the best-seller.
