Asunción, Paraguay – On May 31, 2025, the 2025 Asunción International Book Fair (FIL Asunción 2025) officially opened its doors at the 'José Asunción Flores Guarania Tribute Auditorium' within the Shopping Mariscal Convention Center. The opening ceremony was graced by a large number of officials from the Paraguayan Chamber of Booksellers of Asunción (CLAP), as well as local and international authors and special guests.
Nery Peña, President of CLAP, delivered the welcoming address, emphasizing how the Asunción International Book Fair has served as a meeting point for thought, culture, and language over the years. Following his remarks, Juan Manuel Corzo Román, Ambassador of Colombia, this year's special guest country, and Luis Fernando Ramírez, Minister of Education and Sciences, delivered congratulatory speeches.
A Tribute to José Asunción Flores, Founder of Guarania
The highlight of the opening ceremony was a tribute performance dedicated to José Asunción Flores, the musician credited with creating Guarania. The National Police Band of Paraguay took the stage, performing a selection of Guarania compositions that deeply moved the audience. After the performance, key dignitaries held a ribbon-cutting ceremony and toured the entire exhibition hall, officially signaling the start of the book fair.
"Reading is Dreaming" – A Feast of Books with Diverse Cultural Events
This year's 2025 Asunción International Book Fair is being held under the slogan "Leer es soñar" (Reading is Dreaming). The fair features over 120 booths from domestic and international publishers and bookstores, along with more than 200 diverse cultural events for literature lovers. A rich program of lectures, workshops, discussions, book launches, storytelling sessions, and interactive spaces awaits visitors. Notably, all events offer free admission, allowing everyone to freely experience the world of literature.
The book fair operating hours are as follows:
Monday to Thursday: 9 AM to 9 PM
Friday to Saturday: 9 AM to 10 PM
Sunday: 11 AM to 9 PM
UH Collection's Special Offer for the Democratization of Reading
With the goal of "democratizing reading," Última Hora (UH), a major Paraguayan daily newspaper, is operating the 'Colecciones UH' booth at the 2025 Asunción International Book Fair, showcasing a variety of products and new releases to visitors.
Colecciones UH emphasizes quality and reasonable prices, offering past collections, currently circulating books, and recently released and upcoming titles. Of particular interest to visitors is the surprise box, priced at 30,000 Guaranies (approximately 4,000 KRW). This box contains various surprise gifts, promising to delight visitors. Payments can be made through various methods, including cash, card, QR code, and bank transfer.
The 2025 Asunción International Book Fair is expected to invigorate the Paraguayan literary scene and serve as a celebratory venue for sharing the joy of reading with more people.
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