Alicante Book Fair will return to its appointment 2024 with some news and a few unknowns. Among the sure ones, its location Seneca Space and the biggest innovation of the square with the same name is that cut your date in half celebration – stays in five days – the participation of writers of local and provincial origin, who should be included in the general program, is left to the choice of the future company that manages it. Quota for 40% of Alicante writers disappears in the last two editions.
This is due to: new call It was opened by the Department of Culture of the Alicante City Council. Hire the organization of this activity annual (specifically for the programming, management, coordination, dynamization and execution of the Alicante Book Fair 2024), approved by the Local Executive Board last week. 36,489 eurosVAT included.
This third opportunity Management of the Alicante Book Fair goes out to tender. The first one was in 2021 and was given to the Malaga company MakyreSince it was the only offer submitted, it repeated again in 2022 and its administration was extended in 2023. Makyre’s first year at the helm of the Book Fair argumentThis was later partially corrected, however, as too few signatures of Alicante authors were announced in the official programme. discomfort Numerous writers from the state supported a manifesto rejecting the organization of the fair.
Based on this obstacle, the following year it was introduced as a special condition of the contract that 40% of the writers present at the fair should be local (30% born or resident in the municipality of Alicante and 10% resident in the province). The remaining 60% consists of consolidated companies on the national stage. This requirement Now disappears from 2024 specificationsStating that the awarding organization must submit a proposal at the central stand at least ten presentations books by famous authors “Including authors originating from or residing in Alicante”, but without specifying a specific proportion.
“No minimum or maximum”
Asked about this question, the Cultural Counselor said, Nayma Beldjilalistated that “The percentage has been removed, but writers from Alicante must be, out of necessity, because maybe 60% instead of 40% comes from Alicante. There is no minimum or maximum.” However, the councilor noted: “What each company proposes will be evaluated When projects “for the fair” are put out to tender. “What is removed is the percentage, but it is clear that there must be writers from Alicante,” he reiterated.
Booksellers’ demands
despite The exact date of the celebration is not specified In the document, the text states that this “will” five dayswill be celebrated predictably During April, Opening starts in the afternoon Wednesday and continue until closing Sunday“Such a dramatic reduction in the number of days by half, from ten to five, demand from publishers and booksellers At the end of the last edition they announced: attendance was low throughout the week and ten days was “excessive” for such a small raid.
This is one of the demands addressed in the new call, which is among the obligations of the organizing company. programming of at least three street entertainment events -theatre, music, dance, puppetry, magic or staged readings- It will be held in Seneca Square. This answers Another of the organizations’ claims Due to the fact that the fair stands were set up in the square, the participants, but the events, including the promotions of the books of big brands, were held in Seneca Space, leaving the audience outside.
History is changing againSince last year, the fair was held in May, last year in April, but fairs were also held in June and even July. The location at Seneca, which some bookstores have rejected in front of Paseo Gadea in recent years, seems certain. little travel and some criticisms were aimed at exactly this: Failure to popularize the fairtheir posters did not highlight the location or date of the celebration. However, it has now been determined that the information will be provided to the media by the organizers on a daily basis. Distribute 2,000 posters and/or brochures promoting the fair throughout the city, with a special event at the centre.
More budget for fewer days
Technical specifications are available to interested companies or organizations. You can now submit your offers until January 22nd.. Basic tender budget 36,489.97 euros (30,157 euros plus VAT), two thousand euros more than in previous editions, which contrasts with the half-length of the fair, which suggests that it will initially generate less activity.
However, the real problem of the fair is this: Attracting more bookstores or publishers to AlicanteFrom both the province and outside of Alicante, evidence of a city with a population of close to 350,000: Last year only 19 standsOf these, four were bookstores, four were publishing houses (including self-publishing), and the remainder were corporate stands (including the Ministry of Defense).