The Madrid Book Fair It is a great “meeting place”. As a visitor to its booths or ambushed in the of Ciudad Nueva (number 123 this year) the Fair has always had the incentive for me of knowing that, amidst the crowds of people that fill it, I will meet some familiar face.
I find that many share this feeling. Running into any friend, acquaintance, or someone you've just met; the best is the most unexpected intersection: a former student or a barely remembered colleague, the relative you only run into at funerals, or that person who could have been someone important in your life.
We must make white chronicles and contemplate with empathy and love all that humanity that swirls around the RetiroIf we say that one tree grows next to another out of love... why wouldn't it be the same reason that compels us to coincide on such days in such a place? And in any case, it's an occasion to celebrate that age-old saying, "Long live people!"
With that predisposition you have to interact inside the boothWith my companion and with the readers who lean over to read that other book whose pages are the covers strategically placed on the counter. Buying a book is an important decision, nothing less than adding another element to our life's heritage. The sum of all the books we buy and read is an important part of our portrait.
I like to see the future reader wavering before the book they flip through... What will they be looking for in those pages? The promise of an exciting afternoon? The confirmation of their ideological biases? The discovery of a new truth? When the opportunity arises, I've found a trick that helps sway the decision: "Look here: it seems that the essence of a book, any one over that number, is always found on page 100. Open it there, and if you like what you read, a little diagonally, you're sure to like everything.".
I like that spring atmosphere, with its pleasant rains and splendid rainbows. The more peaceful workday mornings are my favorite. Graciela told me the story of a very young girl who felt irresistibly drawn to the eyes of the illustration on a cover. She rummaged through her pockets for coins one by one to reach the marked price. Anyway, the vendors did their part: that young woman wasn't going to be left without learning about the "Teachings of the Zen Dog."
Many volunteers have attended that counter, 27 very diverse people, and A very significant sales figure has been reached: 474 books (last year there were 389).
The important thing, however, or The most important thing is the thousands of interactions around our booth that have planted seeds of Unity.
Juan Baraibar
