The University of Guadalajara, through a project created by the Environmental Sciences Museum as part of the University’s Cultural Center, and with the support of the Guadalajara International Book Fair, has established the José Emilio Pacheco City and Nature Award. The prize, which will be given for the first time this year, will be dedicated to poetry. The winning author, who must write in Spanish and have at least ten unpublished poems or poems published in the last five years that are related to nature, urban sustainability, socio-ecological harmony and environmental conservation, will be given a purse of US $10,000. The award is dedicated to poet José Emilio Pacheco, whose work explores the duality between cities and nature.
Important:
The call closed the past June 2nd
Created by the University of Guadalajara, and with the collaboration of the National Institute for Indigenous Languages, the Culture Ministry, the National Commission for the Development of the Indigenous Cultures and Jalisco’s Department of Education, the American Indigenous Literature Award is granted to enrich, protect and promote the legacy and richness of Mexico’s indigenous peoples through literature in all its forms, and to and acknowledge and further develop the careers and works of indigenous authors. The award, which carries a purse of US $25,000, will be given for the fourth time at the 2016 FIL Guadalajara.
The SM Ibero-American Award for Literature for Children and Young People was implemented in 2005, the year of Ibero-American literature, with the goal of promoting literature for children and young people throughout Ibero-America. The award is given out each year during the Guadalajara International Book Fair to recognize writers of literature for children and young people and carries a purse of US $30,000.
With the goal of creating a network that helps to encourage the work of illustrators of books for children and young people in Ibero-America, the SM Foundation and the FIL Guadalajara invites illustrators to submit their work to be included in the Annual Ibero-American Illustration Catalog. The 45 works selected will be displayed in an exposition at the Guadalajara International Book Fair. In addition, illustrators will have the opportunity to work on an illustrated book with Ediciones SM and the winner will be given US $5,000. You can find more information at: www.iberoamericailustra.com
Guadalajara, Jalisco, October 06, 2025
The FIL will come, Barcelona will come, and the flowers will come
The 39th edition of the Guadalajara International Book Fair presents an extensive program of activities with the participation of more than 800 writers and the editorial and cultural presence of Barcelona, Guest of Honor
There are 54 days left until the start of the Guadalajara International Book Fair (FIL) and the arrival of Barcelona, the literary and cultural epicenter that will be attending the 39th edition of the publishing festival with the slogan The flowers will come. With more than 3,000 activities, 18,000 professionals in attendance, 2,800 publishing houses from 60 countries, and more than 800 writers participating, the FIL Guadalajara will reaffirm itself as the major platform for publishing businesses in Ibero-America and as the crucial event for those who form part of the book industry, as well as the most important literary gathering of its kind, which this year is expected to attract more than 900,000 people.
At a press conference held on Monday, October 6th, at the Paraninfo Enrique Díaz de León, the general program of activities for the 2025 Fair was announced. The event was attended by Karla Planter Pérez, President of the University of Guadalajara (UDG); Xavier Marcé, Councilor for Culture and Creative Industries of the Barcelona City Council; Anna Guitart, curator of the Barcelona program; as well as Trinidad Padilla López and Marisol Schulz Manaut, President and General Director of FIL Guadalajara, and Héctor Raúl Solís Gadea, executive vice-rector of UDG and coordinator of FIL Pensamiento.
The literary festival of the 2025 edition of FIL Guadalajara will feature the participation of leading figures in contemporary literature, including Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie from Nigeria; Jan Carson from the United Kingdom; Donatella Di Pietrantonio from Italy; Samer Abu Hawwash from Lebanon; Kev Lambert from Quebec; Vivek Shraya from Canada; Eugenia Ladra from Uruguay; Leonardo Padura from Cuba; Xue Mo from China; Edmundo Paz Soldán from Bolivia; María Dueñas from Spain; Horacio Castellanos Moya from El Salvador; and Cristina Rivera Garza from Mexico, among more than 800 authors from 34 countries. In addition, Mexican author Mónica Ojeda will participate in the Julio Cortázar Latin American Lectures on December 1st in the Paraninfo of the University of Guadalajara.
The FIL continues to be the leading venue for book launches. This edition features 635 book presentations, including Antología personal by Luis García Montero; Avenida 10 de julio by Nona Fernández; El Hombre by Guillermo Arriaga; El corazón habitante by Daniela Tarazona; and Morir en la arena by Leonardo Padura, among others. Authors from Mexico such as Alma Delia Murillo, Benito Taibo, Bernardo Esquinca, Mónica Lavín, Antonio Ortuño, Jazmina Barrera, Vivir Quintana, and Amandititita will also present their latest works.
French-Lebanese writer Amin Maalouf will receive the FIL Prize for Literature in Romance Languages. Catalan writer Eduardo Mendoza, winner of the 2025 Princess of Asturias Award, will open the Carlos Fuentes Literary Salon at the Fair and receive the medal named after the author of The Most Transparent Region. As part of the Fair's awards, and within the framework of its professional conferences, the Association of University Publishers of Latin America and the Caribbean (EULAC) will be honored with the Tribute to Editorial Excellence.
Mexican writer Gonzalo Celorio will receive the Tribute to a Bibliophile "José Luis Martínez", while María Elena Saucedo Lugo will receive the Tribute to a Librarian. Yolanda Zamora, one of the popular voices on Jalisco's radio, will be honored with the Fernando Benítez National Cultural Journalism Award. The Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz Literature Prize, the La Catrina Caricature Tribute, and the ArpaFIL Tribute will be announced in the coming days. The FIL will be attended by Mexican author María Victoria Díaz Ruiz, winner of the Indigenous Literatures of the Americas Award; Spanish author Francisco López Serrano, winner of the José Emilio Pacheco City and Nature Award; and Argentine author Jorge Luján, winner of the SM Children's and Young Adult Literature Award. The winners of the 2024 São Paulo Literature Prize, Luciany Aparecida and Eliane Marques, will also be in attendance.
At the press conference, it was announced that starting this year, the Fair will host two collaborative awards: the Diana Moreno Toscano Latin American Young Poetry Award and the Aura Estrada International Literature Award. A tribute to Mario Vargas Llosa was announced, commemorating his literary and humanistic legacy with two round tables featuring Javier Cercas, Pilar Reyes, Pedro Cateriano, Leonardo Padura, Gaby Warkentin, Xavi Ayén, Raúl Tola, and Marisol Schulz Manaut. Mexican astronomer Julieta Fierro will also be remembered as part of FIL Science, and journalist Huemanzin Rodríguez will be remembered by his fellow cultural journalists.
With Barcelona the flowers will come
With a slogan inspired by Mercè Rodoreda's short story, “Vindran les flors” (“The Flowers Will Come”), Barcelona will be the Guest of Honor at the FIL Guadalajara, bringing with it a delegation of 69 authors who write in Catalan and Spanish. The city will present an extensive cultural program that will include shows, exhibitions, performing arts, cinema, and gastronomy, reflecting its balance between tradition and literary modernity. Its literary program will feature figures such as Eduardo Mendoza, Javier Cercas, Cristina Fernández Cubas, Carme Riera, Kiko Amat, Joan Manuel Serrat, and Mireia Calafell.
The Barcelona Pavilion, designed by the Fàbric studio, will recreate a square with a bookstore containing ten thousand copies, which will include an auditorium for literary and professional activities. In addition, the Guest of Honor will have a strong presence in the Fair's program, both in FIL Kids and FIL Science, FIL Pensamiento, and the program for professionals. At the FIL Barcelona Forum, there will be major concerts by artists such as Love of Lesbian, Queralt Lahoz, Roger Mas i la Cobla Sant Jordi, Lucia Fumero y Desilence; Tarta Relena y Maria Arnal; Joan Garriga i El Mariatxi Galàctic, Rigoberta Bandini, Mushkaa, and La Sra. Tomasa.
Barcelona's presence as a guest at the FIL will extend to other venues throughout the city. Following its international success, La Veronal will offer two performances of Sonoma at the Conjunto Santander de Artes Escénicas. This space will host two performances of a dramatized reading of La plaza del Diamante by Mercè Rodoreda, directed by Carlota Subirós, with Catalan and Mexican actresses. In addition, Josep Maria Miró will present his production Yo, travesti at the Teatro Experimental de Jalisco.
The Books of Barcelona, curated by Enric Jardí, offers a journey through the history of editorial design in the city, through 300 books, at the Museo de las Artes (MUSA) of the UDG, where Espacio Onírico will also be exhibited, showcasing Barcelona's role as a benchmark in the creation of digital art. The Museo Cabañas will present Vendrán las mujeres-150 años de luchas en las calles de Barcelona, curated by Ingrid Guardiola, Mita Casacuberta, and Anna Maria Iglesia. This venue will host the Cabosanroque Trilogy, consisting of three separate installations designed for small audiences, focusing on the figures of Mercè Rodoreda: Flors i viatges, an installation that addresses war through the experiences of women who have fled from current conflicts; No me hizo Joan Brossa and Demonios. Exorcisms and inorcisms by Jacint Verdaguer.
Films produced in Barcelona will also be featured at the FIL Guadalajara. The selection of films will include Polvo serán, with the participation of director Carlos Marcas-Marcet; Olivia y el terremoto invisible, with the presence of director Irene Iborra and Maite Carranza, screenwriter and author of the novel; Mí amiga Eva, with actress Nora Navas; El 47, with director Marcel Barrena in attendance; and Seis días corrientes, with director Neus Ballús. The screenings will take place at the Cineteca FICG at the University of Guadalajara. As part of Barcelona's proposal, a food festival will also be held at the Barceló Hotel's restaurant. The chef chosen to represent Barcelona is Gerard Bellver, chef and owner of the Jiribilla restaurant.
The world at the FIL
Literature written in other parts of the world will be featured at the European Literature Festival, Latinoamérica Viva, Nombrar a Centroamérica porque Centroamérica Cuenta, and Destinação Brazil. There will also be literature from Chile, China, Galicia, Morocco, Quebec, Ukraine, and Uruguay. The International Short Story Writers Conference, the Pleasure of Reading Gala, and the Poetry Salon will be celebrated, featuring 25 authors from ten countries this year.
This year's Mil Jóvenes con... sessions will feature Amin Maalouf, Joan Manuel Serrat, Maite Carranza, Rosa Montero, Eduardo Sáenz de Cabezón, and Cristina Rivera Garza. Jaime Alfonso Sandoval will participate in the Letters to the Author Contest Awards Ceremony. The FIL Youth program will explore topics such as artificial intelligence, feminism, masculinities, sexual diversity, and the proper use of credit cards. With Ecos de la FIL, more than one hundred authors are expected to visit UDG high schools throughout the state of Jalisco. As for FIL Science, it will offer talks addressing topics such as neuroscience, genetics, mental health, climate change, astronomy, and quantum physics, among others. The more than 30 activities in the science outreach program will feature renowned experts such as Venki Ramakrishnan, winner of the 2009 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Also Pere Estupinyà, Miguel Alcubierre, Gemma Marfany, Pepe Gordon, and Mara Dierssen, among others.
The Salón del Cómic + Novela Gráfica of the FIL will open on Thursday, December 4, with a tribute to Mexican cartoonist Bernardo Fernández Bef for his 35-year career. It will feature 60 stands and 140 authors. The setting will be based on the Astérix comic book. Authors such as Emmy Hernández, Paula Mayor, Edu Molina, and Lize Meddings, among other figures from the world of graphic narrative, will participate in the Rius Forum program. The space dedicated to gastronomy at FIL, Libros al Gusto, will offer 18 activities such as “Eating in the first person,” “Seeds of identity: the foods that Mexico brought to the world,” and “Colima: a great gastronomic journey.”
FIL Pensamiento
The FIL will be a space for discussing the major challenges facing contemporary societies, with figures from various fields of knowledge and the arts. FIL Pensamiento will feature 285 personalities from 26 countries, with more than 70 activities that, in addition to the Expo, will reach university centers and the Rambla Cataluña, where seven talks will be held this year. Other participants include Rita Segato, Martín Caparrós, Josep Borrell, Joselo, Laura Chinchilla, Enrique Krauze, José Sarukhán, Joan Subirats, Eileen Truax, Diego Luna, and Silvana Mojsovski.
FIL Professionals
More than 2,800 publishing houses from 60 countries will be present at the FIL's 43,000 square meters of exhibition space, with Slovenia and Sweden participating for the first time and the United Kingdom and Switzerland coming back. For the first time, professionals from the publishing industry in Bangladesh will also be attending. The program for professionals includes the International Forum of Publishers and Book Professionals, with the theme “Children's literature without borders: innovation, inclusion, and the future”; the International Forum on Editorial Design, FILustra; the FIL Audio Forum; the International Forum of Booksellers; the San Jerónimo Translation and Interpretation Congress; and the International Librarians' Colloquium will all form part of these events.
There will also be meetings on university publishing, a conference on artificial intelligence, the AMBAC Ordinary Meeting, conferences by the Mexican Association of Literary Translators, the Independent Publishers Meeting, and special activities at the Industry Forum and the FIL Rights Exchange.
FIL Kids. The language of wonder
At FIL Kids—the favorite and most beloved pavilion at FIL Guadalajara—workshops and shows amaze and open up new ways of understanding the world. Barcelona will have a large delegation of illustrators and authors at this event, led by Catalan creator Miguel Bustos, who is responsible for the official image of the children's pavilion. Over nine days, there will be 1,394 sessions of fifteen workshops promoting reading and creative writing, led by 43 workshop leaders from disciplines such as literature, visual and performing arts, music, photography, sound art, and cultural mediation, who will share different ways of exploring and experiencing wonder.
This year, the spontaneous workshops at FIL Kids are bigger and better than ever, with 44 sessions offering 25 creative exchange experiences, featuring authors from Mexico, Argentina, Uruguay, Italy, Poland, and twelve creators from Barcelona. Added to this is the Forum FIL Kids program, with 25 shows and 77 performances by 24 companies from Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Spain, the United States, Italy, Mexico, Poland, and Portugal. Through illustration, writing, music, performing arts, and visual creation, FIL Kids will celebrate creative diversity and the ability to marvel at reading and art as a community.
Towards a sustainable FIL
At the press conference announcing the FIL 2025 program, the Fair's sustainability project was presented, which seeks to reduce its environmental impact and contribute to the fight against climate change. Marisol Schulz Manaut invited the audience attending the great book celebration to participate by actively using public transportation, bicycles, or carpooling to get to the FIL, and to help separate waste within the Fair. These measures, together with the commitment of the Fair's Organizing Committee, are part of the path towards the international ISO 20121:2024 certification, which recognizes events that adopt sustainable and ethical practices.
Schulz Manaut recalled that FIL Guadalajara is an initiative that began 39 years ago at the University of Guadalajara: "The entire university, from its administrators and staff to professors and students, is an intrinsic part of our fair, and that makes it very special. Thanks to everyone. The director general of FIL Guadalajara thanked the 72 sponsors and supporters of the FIL and “each and every one of the institutions, publishers, and embassies that collaborate in our program.” I would especially like to highlight the support provided by Expo Guadalajara and the venue's team. The FIL is everyone.”
Ticket sales
Starting this Monday, October 6, tickets for FIL 2025 will go on sale digitally through Boletomóvil, on the website www.fil.com.mx, and in person at the Fair's offices, located at Alemania 1370, in the Colonia Moderna neighborhood of Guadalajara. General admission is 30 pesos. There are discounts for students, minors, teachers, people with disabilities, and senior citizens.
Consult the program of activities for FIL Guadalajara 2025
Photos from the press conference can be found here
For further information contact:
Press Office and Publicity General coordinator, Mariño González at the phone number (+52) 33 3810 0331, ext. 952