* The author is part of the community of readers of La Vanguardia
The spring and summer months are known by readers as the time of Book Fairs. Any city that claims to be actively cultural offers its inhabitants and visitors a space so that any reader can enjoy buying a book or get to know some other writer. And we, the writers, can display our books for sale, sign them and chat with readers.
But for me there is a big difference between a book fair like in the cities of Madrid, Málaga or Cádiz compared to small towns. I understand that in big cities readers look for the fashionable or famous writer to sign their book and that, at small fairs, even if they last a day, they look for something to read to stay at home in the cool with the high temperatures and chat with the unknown authors who come to make our works known.
One of the Book Fairs that has impacted me the most this year 2023 is located in the Sierra de Cádiz, specifically, Prado del Rey, where arriving very early with the cool weather is to find yourself with the aroma of the lemon trees that inhabit the sidewalks of its streets. narrow shadows giving shadows to the whitish facades and the "good morning!" (almost lost custom of greeting strangers), of an older man sitting on the step of his house.
Seeing the town square covered with awnings you can see the bustle of people, some to walk taking advantage of the fact that it is not yet hot and others to finish setting up the stalls for the Book Fair organized by the Almajar Cultural Athenaeum.
The reception is great and affectionate from my friends at the Ateneo. The poets Miguel Ángel Rincón, Curro Pozo Poley, Paqui Muñoz and the illustrator Isabel EFE were already there. After the hugs and small talks I got closer to the preparations, not a detail was missing.
A stall for second-hand books, several stalls for authors from abroad, a stall for poetry, a long table in the center with colored pencils, markers, crayons and drawings to color, that is, a children's workshop.
And a corner for circus acrobatics by the Circolivo collective with its students, both adults and children. An information stand for the Spanish Association Against Cancer could also not be missing.
Suddenly a loudspeaker, in the middle of the square, begins to play music, the townspeople begin to parade, children on stilts walking among the public, the children's workshop table was filled with children excited to paint or fill something with colors. another drawing.
The rowdy second-hand book stall where you searched among Zipi and Zape comics, dictionaries, books by Lorca, Machado or magazines from the seventies and eighties for some reading, some treasure to take home.
Even the culture councilor, Isabel Orellana (the only politician I know who is always very involved with culture and its people), people asking the authors and my literature teacher Isabel Rodríguez hugging me and, without realizing it, time flew by with laughter. , some cold beer, book signing and talks with friends and readers.
The time came to leave for Estepona after a hot, fun, lively day and happy reunions. As always, the sad thing is the goodbyes, but with the heart and the promise to return next year, if not to participate, to meet new local authors and unknown foreigners, hug friends and surround myself with the charm of a town, of its people and its rich gastronomic culture where you can enjoy the best must or honey among the smell of lemon trees. Culture and pure air of the mountains.
