Santo Domingo.- The 26th Santo Domingo International Book Fair (FILSD 2024) opened last night, honoring writer Mateo Morrison, recipient of the 2010 National Literature Prize, and welcoming Washington Heights as the featured guest community. Held in the Carlos Piantini hall of the Eduardo Brito National Theater, the ceremony included attendance by Culture Minister Milagros Germán, Presidency Administrative Minister Andrés Bautista García, and other prominent figures from the literary world and diplomatic circles.
The opening ceremony featured the National Anthem sung by the Koribe choir, directed by Nadia Nicola, and a warm welcome from Joan Ferrer, director of Book Fairs. A notable attraction was “FIL,” the fair’s mascot and an AI-powered interactive hologram, engaging visitors in the Imagination Pavilion—a crowd favorite since 2023.
The ceremony also included a tribute to writer Rhina Espaillat, a prominent Dominican voice in the U.S., who expressed her pride in connecting Dominican culture to an international audience. The evening concluded with poetry from Mateo Morrison, musical performances by Maridalia Hernández and Adalgisa Pantaleón, and a ribbon-cutting to the fair’s theme song, “Soy de aquí, soy de allá,” symbolizing the fair’s motto, “Books connect.”
FILSD 2024 offers a robust lineup, with over 500 events, 61 international guests from 18 countries, and 15 unique pavilions in the Plaza de la Cultura. Visitors can explore diverse literary spaces, showcasing the work of 242 publishing houses, local distributors, and sections for magazines, institutions, and religious literature, fostering a cultural gathering for all ages and interests.