Resounding success: Santo Domingo International Book Fair 2026 closes with record figures
The 28th edition of the Santo Domingo International Book Fair (FILSD 2026) closed its curtains this Sunday, consolidating itself as an event of great cultural and economic impact. According to the Minister of Culture, Roberto Ángel Salcedo, the fair reached preliminary sales exceeding 97 million pesos, equivalent to approximately 1,600,000 dollars, attracting a total of 714,322 visitors.
During the closing ceremony, held at the Eduardo Brito National Theater, the authorities confirmed that the next edition, FILSD 2027, already has a scheduled date: it will take place from September 12 to 26 of next year.
The effort, coordination, and commitment of each of the people involved have been fundamental to achieving the positive impact we were seeking: to promote reading, literature, and the meeting between writers, readers, and other actors in the cultural sector.
Roberto Ángel Salcedo, Minister of Culture
An event of international reach
This year’s edition, which began on September 24, paid tribute to the prominent Dominican poet José Mármol and featured Panama as the guest country of honor. The Panamanian Minister of Culture, María Eugenia Herrera, was present at the closing ceremony, strengthening the cultural ties between both nations.
The cultural agenda was extremely rich, offering more than 700 activities that included:
- Keynote lectures and talks.
- Presentations of literary works and poetry recitals.
- Creative and educational workshops.
- Film screenings and theatrical performances.
The event served as a meeting point for more than seventy international writers, 32 publishing houses from various countries, 21 national publishing houses, and 44 Dominican bookstores, fostering a vibrant ecosystem for the publishing sector.
Commitment to education and cultural recognition
As part of its strategy to democratize access to culture, the Ministry of Culture implemented the “Book Voucher” program, through which 7,000 copies were distributed free of charge to students who participated in the various activities of the fair.
Finally, the closing gala was the setting for awarding the “Lifetime Dedicated to the Book” recognition to researcher and bookseller Juan Emilio Báez Melo. This distinction, which includes a financial incentive of 300,000 pesos, rewards his long career, his incalculable contribution to literary production, and his work in the preservation of Dominican cultural identity.
