Feria Internacional del Libro de Guadalajara

Prensa

Rome, Italy, a 27 de marzo de 2025

Italy will be the Guest of Honor of the Guadalajara International Book Fair in 2026

Italian government officials and the Guadalajara International Book Fair made the announcement this morning at a press conference in Rome

Italy will be the Guest of Honor of the Guadalajara International Book Fair in 2026. The announcement took place this morning at a press conference held in the Aldo Moro room of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of Italy, in which Alessandro Giuli, Minister of Culture of Italy; Antonio Tajani, Deputy Prime Minister of Italy and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation; Carlos García de Alba, Ambassador of Mexico to Italy; José Trinidad Padilla López and Marisol Schulz Manaut, President and Director of the Guadalajara International Book Fair, respectively; Matteo Zoppas, President of the Agency for Foreign Promotion and Business Internationalization, as well as Innocenzo Cipolletta, president of the Italian Publishers Association.

It will be the second time that Italy is the Guest of Honor of the FIL, since in 2008 it attended with a delegation of 70 authors, as well as artists, intellectuals and book professionals. This was recalled by the President of the FIL Guadalajara, José Trinidad Padilla López, who recognized the invaluable legacy and the fundamental role of Italy “in the history of literature and universal thought”. He also reiterated that, with the participation of Italy as Guest of Honor, attendees will have the opportunity “to deepen this cultural dialogue, discovering new generations of writers and opening paths for exchange between Italian literature and the Spanish-speaking world.”

For her part, the General Director of the FIL Guadalajara, Marisol Schulz Manaut, said that the presence of Italy as Guest of Honor within the framework of the 150 years of relations with Mexico, celebrated only in 2024, and that the Fair will reach its 40 editions in 2026, “is a very pleasant and special coincidence.” She highlighted the relevance of the cultural industries between both nations and assured that “they have found a niche of prosperity in the exchange between our countries, and the presence of Italy at the Guadalajara Book Fair since its foundation in 1987 is proof.” Finally, she highlighted the international character of the FIL and stressed that “nowadays it is the most important fair of the Spanish language”.

Italy was the Guest of Honor of the Guadalajara FIL for the first time in 2008. In that year more than 70 authors arrived, such as Pino Cacucci, Eva Cantarella, Valerio Evangelisti, Paolo Giordano, Valerio Massimo Manfredi and Dacia Maraini, as well as artists, musicians, exhibitors, book professionals, translators and publishers. The representation of Italian literature has been present in practically all editions of the FIL with the participation of publishers, exhibitors and book professionals.

Since 1993 the FIL Guadalajara has had the participation of a Guest of Honor, which strengthens the ties with the region and presents the best of its cultural, artistic and editorial production. New Mexico and Los Angeles (USA), Venezuela, Canada, Argentina, Puerto Rico, Chile, Brazil, Cuba, Quebec, Catalan culture, Peru, Andalusia, Colombia, Castilla y León, Germany, Israel, United Kingdom, Latin America, Madrid, Portugal, India, Sharjah and Arab culture; the European Union and Spain, in the last edition of the Fair, have taken this role.

In 2025, the city of Barcelona is the Guest of Honor at the 39th edition of the FIL, which will be held from November 29 to December 7, at Expo Guadalajara. The 40th edition of the Fair, with Italy as the Guest of Honor, will be held from November 28 to December 6, 2026.

Photos from the press conference, at this link