Marcelo expects the Book Fair to reach one million visitors
The President of the Republic hopes that the Lisbon Book Fair, which he inaugurated today, will reach the number of one million visitors in this edition, after receiving about 900 thousand people last year.
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Cultura Lisboa
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa left this message at the opening session of the 94th edition of the Lisbon Book Fair, which he then visited until after 10 pm, promising to return three more times to visit the rest of the venue.
"If at the Book Fair, as in the elections, for example the European ones, it is risky to put forward numbers, objectives, predictions, it is also irresistible. Also because the 900 thousand visitors of 2023 are followed by a very heavy symbolic level, a very impressive round number, but, I think, not impossible", he said.
"This Book Fair deserves one million visitors", he added.
For the Head of State, being present at the Lisbon Book Fair "is more devotion than obligation" and the perspective he has on this event is "more confident than hopeless".
"It is the youngest of the young, framing the parents and grandparents, who transmit an optimistic feeling of interest and enthusiasm for the book", he considered.
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa recalled the difficulties that the covid-19 pandemic represented for the Lisbon Book Fair and the entire book sector.
"But it recovered from that too, it even survived that, far from the most catastrophic scenarios that anticipated, among other serious consequences, the end of the activity of many publishers", he said.
The President of the Republic praised the new direction of APEL, "young, dynamic and direct to the point", chaired by Pedro Sobral, and the "dynamism and boldness" of the Mayor of Lisbon, Carlos Moedas, who also spoke at this opening session, as well as the Minister of Culture, Dalila Rodrigues.
In his opinion, from the current Ministry of Culture we can expect "clear ideas and political will, a lot of will" and "a lot of determination".
Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa mentioned that the 94th Lisbon Book Fair has 350 pavilions, 140 participants and 960 publishing brands, and highlighted "a very welcome novelty" in this edition: "A cloakroom where we can not only store coats but also purchases, at least those more absent-minded who have not yet opted for a very useful handcart".
Leia Também: Selfies e compras. A passagem de Marcelo na inauguração da Feira do Livro (Portuguese version)
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