Mariela Gal, Miami Book Fair International's Ibero American Authors Program Coordinator, gives ARS all the information you need to know about the authors coming to the fair this year and the events they will be participating in.

How many authors will be at the Miami Book Fair, and how many of them are Spanish-speaking?

Each year we welcome more than 400 authors that present their books in English, Spanish, French and Creole. In 2013 we will celebrate our 30th Fair, and more than 50 will be part of the IberoAmerican program.

Which Spanish-speaking authors are confirmed to attend?

Some of the Iberoamerican authors that we’ve already confirmed are: Marcos Aguinis (Argentina); J.J. Armas Marcelo (Spain); Jaime Bayly (Peru), Gioconda Belli (Nicaragua); Jorge Eduardo Benavides (Peru); Ismael Cala (Cuba-US); Jorge Edwards (Chile-Spain); Jose Ramón Fernández (Spain); Ana Merino (Spain); Elvira Navarro (Spain); José Ovejero (Spain); Sindo Pacheco (Cuba-US); Claudia Piñeiro (Argentina); Carmen Posadas (Spain); Soledad Puértolas (Spain); René Rodríguez Soriano (Dominican Republic) and Esmeralda Santiago (Puerto Rico).

When do the events with authors begin and until which date can we enjoy their lectures? Where will these events take place?

The Fair will open on Sunday, November 17th. Author presentations and other activities are scheduled through Sunday, November 24th. The main weekend is the closing weekend, when most of the presentations take place, in addition to activities in Spain’s pavilion; storytellers, performers and hands-on learning for kids in Children’s Alley; live world music, and even a pop-up park! All at the Wolfson Campus of the Miami Dade College in Downtown Miami.

Which will be the main events with the authors?

We will have readings, panel discussions, meet-and-greed, and other activities. Some authors will read and discuss new works, others will participate in timely discussions of current topics of interest. For example, we are excited about the Transatlantic Conversations series, during which an author from Spain and one from Latin American exchange views on selected topics. We are also scheduling children’s book authors who will present in Spanish, and offering creative writing workshops during the Writer’s Institute. It’s a very diverse program! Spain is our featured country this year. We are featuring more than 25 authors from that country showcasing its literature. But we will also have dance, music, theater and film. We are planning a thorough cultural immersion experience! A taste of all aspects of the country’s culture, much of it centralized at the Spain Pavilion.

For more information on the Miami Book Fair International, click here.