The 33rd Havana International Book Fair, held from February 13 to 23, closes in this capital on Sunday with a ceremony at the San Carlos de la Cabaña Fortress.

The public continues to express pleasure in participating in this literary festival, which is held every February, and will tour Cuba with new book launches and South Africa as a guest of honor.

Through days of alternating cold, sun, rain, and energy and transportation difficulties, among others, La Cabaña fortress and other locations of the fair in Havana have offered readers a variety of titles and proposals.

This year’s edition is based on Jose Marti’s premise “To read is to grow” and the theme “Todo un Pais en Libros” (A Whole Country in Books), in addition to the participation of more than 40 nations and more than 400 foreign guests.

This year’s event pays tribute to researcher and professor Francisca Lopez Civeira, winner of the 2008 National History Award and the 2022 Social and Human Sciences Award; and poet, essayist, researcher, and literary critic Virgilio Lopez Lemus.

It commemorates the 25th anniversary of the founding of the Territorial Publishing System (SET) and is dedicated to the 130th anniversary of Cuban National Hero Jose Marti’s fall in combat.

The fair offered, among others, over two million printed books, more than 2,600 digital texts, 2,500 artistic and literary activities, and book donations to schools and hospitals.

More than 15 authors from South Africa came with their works, which are on display in the South African pavilion. Other books for children and youth, culinary materials, novels, short stories, and more, are also on exhibition.

South Africa is the third country on the African continent to be a guest of honor at the fair after Angola and Algeria.

Cultural and political prominent figures, writers, editors, publishers, promoters, and booksellers from several continents gathered at Cuba’s great literary festival.

After ending in this capital, the Fair will travel to other provinces until it will close in Santiago de Cuba in March.