81st edition of the Madrid Book Fair. Chronicle of a day

La 81th edition of the Madrid Book Fair has taken place from May 27 to June 12 in the park of Pick up, in the usual Paseo de Coches. Not even a year has passed since the previous one and now it has recovered its space and, above all, the capacity without restrictions of any kind. So has returned to be what it was and the public has not failed in its return to meet the books and their authors. I went to visit her last saturday and this is my chronicle.

Madrid Book Fair — 81st edition

Very happy for arriving at about 11 in the morning and seeing the number of people who were already wandering between booths and pavilions, despite the embarrassment already existing in the first wave (too early) of heat.

The Madrid Book Fair has returned to its rhythm and right at the south entrance of the Paseo de Coches there was already the first signature that brought together many readers: Irene Vallejo.

Drives

The queues are a classic of the Fair and have been formed every day in front of the most mediatic, popular or read writers. The most hoarders that day were a few like Michael Santiago, Eva García Sáenz de Urturi, Juan José Millás and Juan Luis Arsuaga, José Luis Garci, Paloma Sánchez-Garnica, Albert Espinosa, Javier Cercas, Manel Loureiro and Ángel Martín, among others.

One of the booths that gathered the most public at noon was that of Hipercor, which brought together Julia Navarro, Toni Cantó, José Luis Corral and Rosa Montero. And there were authors who were giving the callus especially and throughout the fair as booksellers, as happened to Marina Sanmartin.

Fenómenos

One of the authors of the moment is Virginia Feito, who did not stop signing for a moment, well, yes, in which she and Monika ZgustovCzech-Spanish translator and writer.

I was particularly struck by the success of a lots authors of children's and youth literature who were perhaps the ones who had the most readers queuing for their signature. This goes to show the good moment of this genre that, in reality, has always had not only great acceptance, but also great figures.

Those who took a mass bath were Shelby Mahurin and Stephanie Garber best-selling international teen fantasy authors with their trilogies of witch killer y caraval. And the kids especially enjoyed Trolerotutos and Hardy, Pedro Manas and David Sierra, who sign its books by Ana Kadabra and Marcus Pocus, or with RiusPlay and Mondongo.

Tributes

That Saturday morning there was a very special and crowded Almudena Grandes, with readings of his work by readers and initiated by his widower, the poet Luis Garcia Montero, which also brought together a good handful of people at his signing in a booth a few meters away.

And on Friday, by the publisher siruela, there was another one as emotional as it was moving to the memory of Sunday Villar, that he was so fond of the Fair and he really liked being there. Many readers wanted to join the act, in which his wife Beatriz and one of his sons took part, who showed enormous integrity in the words he dedicated.

My signatures

It would have taken me half a fair, I think that happens to all of us when you like books and reading so much, but we had to get to the point. And this year that grain was Peter Cervantes y Fernando Lillo placeholder image, with whom I have been able to speak in my Peer Talks and whom I really wanted to greet personally. I also met Elena Bargues, a writer of historical and romantic novels that I also like, but that I had missed on the calendar. Of course, I was also able to say hello to Ana Lena Rivera, Teo Palacios, Javier Pellicer y Victor Fernandez Correas.

Ultimately

The fact that we have recovered in full the Madrid Book Fair. May we not lose her again.