Promoting reading is one of the core priorities of the Guadalajara International Book Fair (FIL). Thirty-nine years after its founding, and firmly established as the largest business meeting for the Ibero-American publishing industry, FIL Guadalajara is also a benchmark as the most important literary festival, constantly seeking strategies to create more readers.
The work carried out by FIL, particularly among children who have fewer opportunities to engage with books and culture, has been made possible thanks to companies with a strong sense of social commitment that share our ideals and have provided support to continue this work, which requires sustained and ongoing effort.
FILantropía was created in 2006 as a social action program that offers companies or individuals interested in supporting children the opportunity to become Reading Initiators. Through this initiative, they invite groups of underprivileged children from the Guadalajara metropolitan area to experience FIL Niños, the pavilion that the Guadalajara International Book Fair dedicates to celebrating books and imagination.
In 2025, FIL Niños welcomed more than 200,000 visitors. It is a space that offers workshops, books, and stage productions that enrich children’s encounter with the literary world in a non-school-based format.
This is the first social responsibility program undertaken by FIL Guadalajara in collaboration with private-sector partners. It emerged after observing the qualitative change in children’s relationship with reading and education following their visit to this space. The program consists of companies or individuals interested in philanthropy inviting school groups or institutions with limited resources to visit FIL Niños, so that these children can experience attending the largest celebration of books in Spanish. The 2026 Guadalajara International Book Fair will take place from November 28th to December 6th, with Italy as Guest of Honor. FIL is responsible for proposing to the Reading Initiators a selection of candidate groups to receive this support. It also coordinates visit logistics and the production of promotional materials that give visibility to partner organizations.
Since the beginning of the program, in 2006, until the most recent edition of the Fair, our Reading Initiators have made it possible for thousands of children to discover in FIL Kids the pleasure of reading.
For more information contact:
Ana Luelmo, Children´s pavilion manager, by phone (+52) 33 3268 0934
For more information contact:
Geovanna Carrillo, Commercial manager, by phone (+52) 33 3268 0955