Raquel Peña opens 27th Santo Domingo International Book Fair

Santo Domingo.- Vice President Raquel Peña inaugurated the 27th Santo Domingo International Book Fair (FILSD 2025) on Thursday at the Juan Pablo Duarte Cultural Plaza, where the event will run until October 5. Considered one of the most important cultural and literary gatherings in the region, the fair highlights children’s and young adult literature while also introducing innovations such as the Business Room for internationalizing Dominican literature, the Multiplicando Letras program to expand access to culture, and the strengthening of the Bonolibro program to encourage reading.

At the opening ceremony, Peña honored historian Frank Moya Pons for his invaluable contributions to Dominican history, while Culture Minister Roberto Ángel Salcedo described the fair as “an exercise in citizenship, memory, and the future.” The event also recognized Isael Pérez Rodríguez of Editorial Santuario with the “A Lifetime Dedicated to Books” award for his work in promoting Dominican literature at home and abroad.

This year’s edition brings together 39 local and 24 international publishers, offering more than 600 activities across themed pavilions, auditoriums, and exhibition spaces. The Latin American Network of Literary Fairs and Festivals is the guest of honor, contributing to regional dialogue on the circulation of literature. Following the success of 2024—with over 600,000 visitors and RD$75 million in sales—organizers aim to surpass those milestones and further establish Santo Domingo as the literary capital of the region.