By Edward Nawotka Earlier this week the Argentine government announced a new fair to showcase the country’s cultural industries. MICA (or the Mercado de Industrias Culturales Agentinas) with take place June 2-5 in Buenos Aires. MICA will showcase the best of Argentina’s publishing, video game, advertising, web development, theater design and other arts. The idea is to foster cross-platform collaboration …
Buenos Aires Book Fair: A Kiss on the Cheek Brings the Sting of Politics
By Edward Nawotka For an American, the Latin American habit of greeting one with a kiss on the cheek– even someone you’ve just, or even never, met before — can be unexpected. But it does make one feel welcome and you quickly get used to it. In Buenos Aires, where the 37th edition of it’s annual Feria International del Libro, …
Book Review: On Elegance While Sleeping by Viscount Emilio Tegui
By Gwendolyn Dawson Emilio Lascano Tegui (1887-1966) was, at various times during his eventful life, an Argentinean, a Parisian, a self-labeled viscount, a translator, a journalist, a curator, a painter, a decorator, a diplomat, a mechanic, an orator, a dentist, and, fortunately for us, a writer. Tegui’s 1925 novel On Elegance While Sleeping, a cult classic in Argentina, Tegui’s home country, …
“The Kids Get It, Even If You Don’t”: Transmedia Storytelling in the Classroom
Editorial by Ian Harper MINNEAPOLIS: The National Education Technology Plan in the US has prescribed a wholesale technological transformation for education. Yet, adults — parents and teachers alike — often fear what’s “out there” on the Internet, whether “they” are bullies, predatory stalkers or pornography. This has made educators reluctant to embrace sharing technologies in the classroom. As a result, open …
More from Guadalajara (FIL): Tequila, Models and the Future of Spanish
By Edward Nawotka You might think a book fair is a book fair is a book fair, but I have to say that my first visit to Guadalajara has left a strong impression. Not only are there significantly more publishers from smaller Central American nations than I’ve ever seen before — Nicaragua, Guatemala, Costa Rica — as well as places …
TYPA’s Gabriela Adamo Talks Argentine Lit at Home and Abroad
By Matías Fernández (translated from the Spanish by Emily Williams) Gabriela Adamo worked for a number of years as a literary editor for the celebrated imprint Sudamericana, now part of Random House Mondadori. When she left her editing post, she started off the new millennium working with TYPA, a non-profit institution that specializes in connecting Argentinian writers with editors abroad. …
Will Ardor for E-books Diminish as They Become Commonplace?
By Edward Nawotka Today’s lead story looks at Argentina’s e-book market. One of the arguments of the piece, is that e-books are seen as “sexy,” all the more so because of the relative scarcity of e-books and e-readers in the country. E-books are having their moment in the spotlight a look to be this year’s big holiday gift. But once …
In Argentina, E-books Are Sexy! (But You Can’t Find Them Anywhere)
• Publishers and readers across Argentina are talking about e-books — and their relative scarcity • Digital entrepreneurs are hard at work, but the market has a great deal of ground to make up before it catches America or Europe. By Julieta Lionetti BUENOS AIRES: Buenos Aires has a coffee-shop culture similar to that of Vienna or Paris, making it easy to stumble upon people …
Argentina: A Nation of Offbeat Writers, Exquisite Publishers
• This year’s Guest of Honor at the Frankfurt Book Fair as seen through the eyes of one of its top literary editors • Photo: Argentina Guest of Honour presentation at the Frankfurt Book Fair 2010 By Alejandra Rodríguez Ballester (translated from the Spanish by Emily Williams) “If there is one writer that readers outside of Argentina shouldn’t miss, it’s …
China, Latin America Getting iPads Tomorrow
By Edward Nawotka Tomorrow’s the day that China, as well as Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, will be getting the iPad. The devices go on sale at midnight and it will be interesting to see just how many of these relatively pricey devices move in the first few days in their respective markets. There’s no word yet on whether …