Queen Letizia Interviews Director of Madrid Book Fair, Requests Annual Invitation

Queen Letizia inaugurated the 84th edition of the Madrid Book Fair this Friday, which this year is dedicated to New York City and will pay tribute to authors such as Mario Vargas Llosa, Carmen Martín Gaite, Federico García Lorca, Paul Auster, Ana María Matute, and Gabriela Mistral.

Amid great anticipation and under a blazing sun, Queen Letizia, a devoted reader and staunch advocate of culture, toured the bookstalls of bookstores and publishers along the Paseo de Coches in Retiro Park, accompanied by the Fair's director, Eva Orúe. The Queen chatted with booksellers, took selfies with readers, purchased several books to expand her library, and showcased her journalistic skills by conducting a brief interview with Orúe in front of the media. "How will these 17 days be, Eva?" she asked. "Hot," replied the director, highlighting that this year the fair had brought together the Ministry of Culture (Sumar), the Madrid City Council (PP), the Community of Madrid (PP), and also the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (PSOE), all present at Retiro Park.

Faithful to the inauguration of the Book Fair and always supporting culture, Queen Letizia asked Orúe, "Will you invite me every year, Eva?" to which the director replied affirmatively, adding that she would also invite her a week earlier to see the event preparations.

With her presence at Retiro Park, Queen Letizia aims to support the publishing sector and booksellers, but also to promote reading across all ages. In this context, she expressed interest in the Fair's efforts to bring books and culture to young patients at the nearby Niño Jesús Hospital through a visit typically conducted the day before the inauguration. "I like to think of them as the fair's booth 00," Orúe commented to the Queen.

During her tour of the stalls, Queen Letizia took selfies with many readers, and when journalists asked for a literary recommendation, she chose not to name anyone specifically but reminded that this 84th edition pays homage to several authors, such as García Lorca (for his connection to New York City through his poetry collection 'Poet in New York'), Vargas Llosa, Ana María Matute, and the Chilean poet Gabriela Mistral, commemorating the 80th anniversary of her Nobel Prize in Literature in 1945.

Among the stalls where Queen Letizia paused during her hour-long tour were Páginas de Espuma, specialising in short stories and celebrating its 25th anniversary; the publishers Demipage, Editorial la Huerta Grande, and Círculo de Tiza (sharing a stand); Olavide Bar de Libros; the CSIC booth; Ediciones Morata, marking a century of existence; and the well-known Alberti bookstore, celebrating 50 years, whose manager, Lola Larumbe, is a cultural reference from the Transition era.

Under the motto 'New York Lights Up the Fair', the American city is the main focus of this 84th edition with 365 stalls (7 more than the previous 2024 edition) open until June 15. As part of New York's prominence, authors from the city such as Vivian Gornick, Teju Cole, Rebecca Solnit, Garth Greenwell, Catherine Lacey, Junot Díaz, Lucy Sante, Katie Kitamura, and Eliot Weinberger will attend Retiro Park, among more than 400 planned activities. However, the fair's main attraction lies in the presence of 2,600 authors, the ritual of book signings, and meetings with readers, including bestsellers like Joël Dicker or Fernando Aramburu, as well as unknown authors. In the 2024 edition, over 585,000 copies were sold, valued at nearly 11 million euros.