MIAMI, Sept. 17, 2007 – Each year, the Florida Center for the Literary Arts (The Center) at Miami Dade College (MDC) hosts the largest and finest book fair in the nation. This year, the 2007 Miami Book Fair International will be no exception. Festivities began with a kick-off celebration on Monday, Sept. 17 at the historic Freedom Tower on MDC’s Wolfson Campus in downtown Miami.
“The Book Fair is a wonderful Miami tradition almost a quarter of a century old,” said Alina Interián, executive director of the Florida Center for the Literary Arts. “This year we are introducing exciting new ventures, including an all-day trade-only conference on translation and world literature.”
Announced at the kick-off celebration, The Translation Market will bring together leading figures in the world of translation, foreign rights and licensing, international publishers, agents, and book critics. The all-day event, which includes professional seminars and panel discussions, will take place on Thursday, Nov. 8.
The Center also unveiled the 2007 Miami Book Fair International posters, designed by two Miami Dade College alumni.
Colombian-born artist Viviana Ponton created this year’s official book fair poster, a colorful display of floating books. Ponton is a graduate of New World School of the Arts, and earned an associate degree in graphic design from the Honors College at Miami Dade College in 2004. Her work was featured in Art Basel 2006 and Photo Miami 2006 and has been displayed in many other important exhibitions and shows around the world.
Illustrator Sarah Vazquez came up with a dreamy poster to represent Children’s Alley. Vazquez was born in Miami and attended Miami Dade College before traveling to Italy to study art. A mural she created titled “A Place for Childhood,” has become a permanent exhibition at Trompo Magico, a children’s museum in Guadalajara, Mexico.
Finally, the Center announced the 2007 book selections for The Big Read and One Picture Book, One Community (OPBOC) programs designed to promote literacy. The Big Read book is The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan, and children can pick-up the OPBOC selection, Bob and Otto, written by Robert O’ Bruel. This year, OPBOC is celebrating its fifth anniversary through a distribution of 22,000 copies of Bob and Otto to first graders in Miami Dade and Broward counties public schools. Other reading initiatives include the First Time in College project featuring Unbowed, by Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai, and Story Time, a program focused on children and parents.
From Nov. 4 – 11, the Book Fair will bring to Miami some of the nation’s most acclaimed writers. This year’s lineup includes Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg, Richard Russo, Ralph Nader, Diane Ackerman, Alvaro Vargas Llosa, Jenna Bush, Edwidge Danticat, Paul Krugman, Chris Matthews, Michael Ondaatje, among many others. The bustling Street Fair with hundreds of booksellers and an International Pavilions Village runs from Nov. 9 – 11.
Miami Book Fair International (MBFI) and the Florida Center for the Literary Arts (FCLA)
The MBFI is a premier event of the Florida Center for the Literary Arts at Miami Dade College. The Center promotes reading and writing throughout the year by consistently presenting quality literary activities open
to all in South Florida. Literacy projects target children of all ages—from kindergarten to high school—as well as college students and adults. Established and emerging writers from South Florida and all over the U.S. read, lecture, and teach workshops. They work with K-12, MDC students, and diverse members of the community, helping to deepen their understanding of literature, and encouraging their work of writers at all stages of development. The Center envisions South Florida as a nexus of literary activity in the Americas and beyond, and will continue to champion its mission of promoting the advancement and appreciation of the literary arts in all forms. The Book Fair is the largest and regarded as the finest literary gathering in America.
The Miami Book Fair International is made possible through the generous support of the State of Florida and the National Endowment for the Arts; the City of Miami; Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners; Miami Dade County Public Schools; the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau; the Downtown Development Authority; and the Friends of the Fair. 2007 Book Fair sponsors as of this date include: Chrysler Jeep, Target, AARP, American Airlines, Bank of America, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, Ghirardelli Chocolate, Publix Super Markets Charities, Starbucks, Miami Parking Authority, Miami-Dade Transit, Southern Vines, Inc., the Hyatt Regency Miami, and The Raleigh Hotel. Major media sponsors include: The Miami Herald and El Nuevo Herald, CBS4 and MY33, Univision23 and Telefutura69, WQBA 1140AM, WAQI 710 AM, WAMR FM 107.5, La Kalle 98.3 FM, Comcast, Diario las Américas, WINZ 940 AM, WIOD NewsRadio 610 AM, New Times, WLRN Public Radio and Television, WPBT Channel 2, 88.9 FM Serious Jazz, NewsTalk 1080 AM, and the Welcome Channel.
Miami Dade College
Opening its doors in 1960, Miami Dade College (MDC) has a long and rich history of involvement in the cultural arts, providing South Florida with a vast array of artistic and literary offerings including The Miami Book Fair International, the Florida Center for the Literary Arts, The Miami International Film Festival, the Cultura del Lobo performing arts series, The Cuban Cinema Series, the Miami Leadership Roundtable speakers’ series, numerous renowned campus art galleries and theaters, and the nationally recognized School of Entertainment and Design Technology. MDC is the largest institution of higher education in the country and is a national model for many of its programs. With an enrollment of more than 165,000 students, MDC is the nation’s top producer of associate of arts and associate of science degrees. The college’s eight campuses and outreach centers offer more than 200 distinct degree, workforce training, licensing, and certificate programs including three bachelor’s degree programs. In 2006, MDC admitted its 1.5 millionth student in its storied history.
For more information about the 2007 Miami Book Fair International, visit the website at www.miamibookfair.com, or call (305) 237-3258.
Media-only contacts: Beverly C. Rodrigues, MDC media relations director, 305-237-3949, brodrigu@mdc.edu;
Juan Mendieta, MDC communications director, 305-237-7611, jmendiet@mdc.edu or Lisa Palley, 305-642-3132, lpalley@bellsouth.net.