'The Future of the Book' among 2009 FIL forums

The Guadalajara International Book Fair (FIL) is one of the largest events of its kind worldwide. Among its annual highlights are its public forums, which gather thinkers from the Spanish-speaking world and beyond. The 23rd edition of FIL, beginning November 28, will include a timely debate on "The Future of the Book," examining technological trends in reading and publishing.

Giving their input about where the traditional book is headed willl be Steve Wasserman, a publishing executive director who has been an editor for www.truthdig.com and the Los Angeles Times Book Review, researchers from the Institute for the Future of the Book, the International Digital Publishing Forum, and the RAND Corporation, and several authors.

According to FIL organizers, most of the dialogue and debates will be "oriented to the market implications, but also to what readers should expect." The forum is organized by FIL along with the Frankfurt Book Fair, the International Publishers Association, and other international groups.

Other discussions planned for the 2009 FIL include "Are We Understanding What Is Happening? A Conversation about Journalism in the Global Era," organized by the Spanish newspaper El País, and an International Scientific Culture Symposium.

The FIL (Feria Internacional del Libro de Guadalajara), is the second-largest book fair worldwide, after that of Frankfurt, and a who's-who in Spanish-language publishing. An estimated 500,000 readers attend the event each year, along with 1,600 publishers from 40 countries.

FIL will be held at the Expo Center in Guadalajara, Mexico, from November 28 to December 6. Daily entrance fee for the general public is 20 pesos (about €1). More information is available at http://www.fil.com.mx/ingles/i_index.asp.