The book sector accuses the Generalitat of leaving them without aid “in the worst year” | News from the Valencian Community

A dozen entities in the book sector of the Valencian Community have denounced this Tuesday that the Generalitat has left them without ordinary aid “in the worst year in their history” and they have grouped together in a group of affected people to demand solutions. The subsidies that the Ministry of Culture calls for annually for the book sector are contemplated in the 2024 budgets, but only the line of aid for editorial production has been called, according to a joint statement. However, “as of today it has not been resolved” and aid for the Diffusion of Books and Reading, which had 1,150,000 euros, and aid for participation in International Fairs have remained uncalled.

The entities Associació d’Editors del País Valenciança (AEPV); Guild of Booksellers of Valencia; FULL Foundation for Books and Reading (FULL); Bromera Foundation for the Promotion of Reading; Valencia Book Fair Foundation; Association of Valencian Illustration Professionals (APIV); Guild of Booksellers of Lance of the Valencian Community; Guild of Booksellers of Castellón and Regions; Valencia Black Festival and Valencia Poetry Festival Vociferio are the signatories of the statement representing the Valencian book sector.

The platform has expressed its “enormous concern about the failure to call in a timely manner the ordinary competitive aid for the book sector, which as a consequence of the damage of last October 29 is already in the worst year in its history.” recent”.

The absence of aid, which had been called uninterruptedly in recent decades in compliance with the Book Law, “represents a projectile on the waterline of the sector, which could be greatly damaged,” they have indicated.

Without aid for the Diffusion of Books and Reading, they have explained, “the main annual events in the world of books are in danger”, such as the Book Fair of València, the Book Fair of Castelló, the Book Squares, the Antique Book Fairs and of Occasion of València, Alacant and Castelló, the València Negra and Vociferio festivals, the Baba Kamo Illustrated Book Festival and Fair or the Sambori Awards.

In the same way, they depend on annual aid, programs and activities to promote reading, such as those supported by the FULL Foundation and the Bromera Foundation for the Promotion of Reading. The very structure of the entities in the sector “is also threatened”, because they depend to a large extent on canceled aid.

The organizations now grouped in a group of affected people demand solutions with guarantees from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Universities and Employment and have requested an urgent meeting with Miquel Nadal, general director of the Book, and do not rule out future pressure measures.