FIL 2025: Guadalajara Reaffirms Its Place as the World Capital of the Written Word

The Guadalajara International Book Fair (FIL) opened its 39th edition on November 29 at Expo Guadalajara. With the participation of Pablo Lemus Navarro, Governor of Jalisco; José Trinidad Padilla López, President of the FIL; Marcelo Ebrard, Secretary of Economy; and Jaume Collboni, Mayor of Barcelona — the edition’s guest city of honor — the fair has reaffirmed its standing as one of the most influential publishing epicenters in the Spanish-speaking world.

Pablo Lemus, Governor of Jalisco

In his inaugural address, Ebrard presented the “Hecho en México” distinction to the FIL. The honor was received by Karla Planter Pérez, Rector of the Universidad de Guadalajara (UdeG), the institution responsible for organizing the fair. Ebrard described the FIL as “a process and an idea” whose perseverance and excellence have made it a global benchmark. Governor Pablo Lemus underscored the importance of reading in sustaining a democratic and informed society, while acknowledging the UdeG as a historic cornerstone of the fair.

Karla Planter Pérez, Rector of the Universidad de Guadalajara

This year, Barcelona unfolds its literary heritage beneath the theme “Vendrán las flores” — with a pavilion designed in the image of the city’s historic plazas, a library holding more than ten thousand titles, exhibitions, concerts, and a delegation of 69 authors.

The international centerpiece of the inauguration was Franco-Lebanese author Amin Maalouf, recipient of the FIL Prize in Romance Languages Literature 2025. In an address that read as a humanist meditation on the technological age, he defined books as a bridge between cultures — affirming that even in complex times, literature remains indispensable to global dialogue.

Amin Maalouf, recipient of the FIL Prize in Romance Languages Literature 2025.

FIL 2025 confirms its strategic significance: a convergence of literature, cultural diplomacy, editorial heritage, and a transatlantic bond that cements Guadalajara’s standing as the global capital of the written word.