A Cuban Book Trip

Organized by the Ministry of Culture and the Cuban Book Institute, this standout cultural extravaganza, which originated as part of a government campaign to boost literacy on the island, celebrated its 26th anniversary this past February with a family-oriented festival dedicated to the pleasures of reading under the motto, "To read is to grow." In 2016, after the decades-old U.S. embargo of Cuba was partially lifted, the American Library Association (ALA) sponsored a tour of about 30 people whose goal was to attend the fair as well as to visit major Cuban libraries and other cultural and social institutions. At the book fair, Havana residents could use their Cuban pesos (CUPs) to buy government and local publications at a central bookstore for a typical cover price of less than one U.S. dollar.