INDEPENDENT LIBRARIES OF CUBA TO PRESENT LATEST COMPILATION OF CUBAN ARTISTS’ WORK AT MIAMI BOOK FAIR INTERNATIONAL.

Miami, November 21, 2002 – The Independent Libraries of Cuba (Bibliotecas Independientes de Cuba) will be presenting the third edition of the literary compilation El Heraldo from Friday November 22nd through Sunday November 24th from 10am to 6pm. The Independent Libraries will be located at booth #215 at the Miami Book Fair International.

Competencia El Heraldo is an annual literary contest that attracts many young, talented artists in Cuba. “El Heraldo represents a unique opportunity for Cuban artists to freely express themselves and have their work evaluated by independent literary authorities”, stated Berta Mexidor, Founder and Director of the Independent Libraries of Cuba. “For the first time, we are publishing a compilation of the winning submissions under the title Ojos Abiertos which will be available for sale at our booth,” continued Mexidor. Ojos Abiertos includes a prologue by renowned Cuban journalist and intellectual Carlos Alberto Montaner and introductions by Cuban poet Raul Rivero and writer Angel Cuadras.

This is the 3rd year that the Independent Libraries of Cuba sponsor this open competition. Interest has grown dramatically since its inception, with submissions from all over Cuba increasing 6-fold to over 350 this year. Representative work includes various genres including poems, essays, short stories, articles and letters.

About the Independent Libraries of Cuba
The Independent Libraries provide open forums for reading, debate, research and discussion in Cuba. The libraries were founded by independent journalists as a response to Fidel Castro’s declarations at the International Book Fair in 1998 in Havana that “in Cuba no books are prohibited”. Since their founding 4 years ago, over 100 have opened in 13 provinces across Cuba.
For further information, please call (786) 552 7641 or e-mail berta@bibliocuba.org

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