LéaLA, the largest Spanish-language book fair, kicks off this weekend

LéaLA, the biggest Spanish book fair and literary festival, will officially kick off this week on Friday, September 24, through Sunday, September 27, at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes in Los Angeles and admission is free for all attendees.

Organized by the University of Guadalajara Foundation USA, the four-day festival returns for its 11th edition under the theme “Las historias que nos unen hablan español” (The Stories That Unite Us Speak Spanish).” 

LéaLA director Marisol Schulz shared that this year’s theme is of great importance for Latino communities in LA as individuals continue to face discrimination for just speaking their native tongue. 

"It's particularly significant to emphasize the importance of the Spanish language and the richness of our cultures as Latinos. People relate to the stories that they heard while they were young in their family circle, especially from the older ones, and that brings up emotions,” she said.

As the largest Spanish-language book fair and literary festival in the U.S., past events have included a prestigious lineup of writers, poetry reading sessions, signings, children's workshops, book presentations and even musical performances at different venues.

This year's literacy celebration is no different; it will host more than 25 writers along with several other programs and activities for children, families and educators. 

Schulz also shared that through LéaLA they hope to encourage the younger generation of Latinos to keep reading and creating in Spanish. “We do that through different activities and through content that aims to entertain and make people think about their lives and their roots,” she said.

While LéaLA continues to grow, Schulz said that its core mission remains the same, which is promoting Latino culture and literature altogether. Despite the book fair only happening once a year, she believes they have contributed immensely to targeting the importance of the Spanish language.

As Spanish-language books and literature continue to compete for space in a predominantly English-speaking publishing and cultural landscape, Schulz told Calo News that organizers hope attendees take advantage of the chance to discover Spanish books at LéaLA that are otherwise unavailable in retail stores.

“The presence of books in Spanish is very limited in the whole country, and bookstores privilege well-known authors and best sellers, not always the best literature. For instance, it’s very difficult to find books by Jorge Luis Borges or Juan Rulfo in Spanish, two of the best writers in our language,” she said. “We hope people take away the voices and works that really matter in our publishing world.”

For more information, visit the LéaLA website or check out the full program below.