English
In some Mediterranean countries, particularly in Spain, the Book Fairs usually coincide with spring or summer. They are events which are celebrated in open-air, altering the physiognomy of some of the most representative parts of the cities during a few weeks, and they´re characterized for having a festive spirit which, in some way, transcends into the mere commercial aspect of the event, although deep down that´s what it´s all about.
Despite the conferences and discussion panels which have been put up for the event are abundant, the essential and most striking thing in these fairs happens outside: uneven queues that are formed so that the favourite writers sign the recently bought books by the attendants, so that they give the latter a chance to chat with the former and take back a personal memory that they treasure with affection for the rest of their lives; the terraces where they drink beer to get out of the sun and calm the fatigue of walking around the different stalls checking out dozens and hundreds of books that catch the attention, simply because they are exhibited on the stands of each editorial or bookshop which are present (from medieval book facsimiles to the latest and controversial works by Houliebecq or Amélie Nothomb – who might be at the fair to sign them – as well as delicate and extraordinary flowers like if they were from nineteenth-century botanic gardens, Vesalius´ anatomy books, the engravings of the emblems of ´Atalanta fugiens´ (Flee from Atalanta) and banal objects like the latest stupid book which invites us to, and gives us the formula for, making money ruthlessly and without even staining our conscience, which even comes out enriched and purified simply to carry on with the supposedly basic principles of quantum mechanics; the ones that gives us a speed course which is also connected to a few clichés from the most prestigious Oriental religions, allowing us to feel ´illuminated´ for the price of a book; the random meetings which open, in combination with the sensuality of the incoming season, a horizon of amorous stories and spectral voyages to the past.
Helsinki Book Fair, which takes place in the futuristic and superb Congress and Exhibition Centre in the Finnish capital from the 27th until the 30th of October (http://web.finnexpo.fi/Sites1/HelsinginKirjamessut/en/Pages/default.aspx), presents noticeable differences but no less interesting. During the event in the crystal interior of this admirable functional architecture of the Congress Centre (which holds over seven fair parks and over 40 conference halls of different sizes, as well as a dozen of cafeterias and restaurants and one of the most modern and reputable hotels in Finland), the social aspect and the spontaneous relations give way to the detailed organization of over 700 acts related with the editorial world which take place on the different stages and rooms of the Centre, as well as in the stands of the over 300 participants (editorials, bookshops and different cultural societies).
Inevitably, the city itself is also transformed in a way during these days, noticeably increasing the offer of concerts, theatre plays and different events related to books. You´ll be able to see it for yourself if you hire apartments in Helsinki on these dates.
Translated by: aleixgwilliam
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