Cancún Prepares Fourth Annual Book Fair to Promote Youth Literacy

Cancún, Quintana Roo — The fourth annual Cancún Book Fair will take place from April 20 to 26, organizers announced, with a focus on encouraging reading among children and teenagers.

Pablo Martínez, the event’s coordinator, said the fair aims to promote education, culture, and cultural heritage. “Our activity as a civil association is centered on promoting the right to education, culture, and cultural heritage,” he stated.

The fair will be held at the Plaza Caribe Hotel and is expected to feature independent writers, academics, and researchers from various universities and educational institutes presenting their books. Martínez described it as an independent event supported by participants, academics, and cultural managers.

Organizers highlighted the fair’s goal of addressing low literacy rates in Mexico by designing activities for students and involving elementary and secondary schools. The intention is to create experiences that encourage reading comprehension and direct interaction between readers, authors, and cultural organizers.

As a self-managed event, the fair operates without government funding, relying on citizen effort as an exercise of cultural rights.

Featured participants include Chilean singer-songwriters Pablo Silva and Verónica Garay, along with academic Angélica Serlene Sterling Zozoaga from the University of the Caribbean, who has published works on gastronomy, identity, culture, and sustainable practices. Also attending are Maya-language writer Patricia Chan and Peruvian author Consuelo González Madueño.

In January, a previous book fair saw strong public turnout and provided a dedicated space for promoting reading, especially among young people, noted Martínez, who also directs the Center for Support of Indigenous Migrants in Quintana Roo.