This morning, the municipality of Santa Cruz sent a statement to the newsrooms, where it regrets and reiterates the strangeness underlying the decision of the Funchal Chamber to make the dates of next year’s Book Fair coincide with the one already stipulated for the edition of the event in Santa Cruz.
“It is strange and regrettable that, for the first time, the date of the Funchal Book Fair is announced for April, coinciding with the dates of the Santa Cruz Book Fair, which was scheduled for April in its first edition, precisely to not coincide with other book fairs, namely the one in Funchal”, they refer in a long explanation.
“In other words, we regret that our care was not a concern for others, who thus harm not only the cultural poster of the neighboring municipality, but also the business of booksellers, reducing their opportunity to do their business and to publicize this important purpose that is reading”, they consider.
Thus, “the Santa Cruz City Council publicly regrets the decision taken by the Funchal municipality to make the date of the Funchal Book Fair coincide next year with the date already stipulated for the second edition of the Santa Cruz Book Fair , repeating the date of this year’s first edition, which was from April 20 to 25. Also repeating the reasons that led us to choose that date, which were Book Day and Freedom Day , but also the philosophy that was implicit in our Book Fair.
We therefore consider this decision doubly regrettable. In such a small island and with the difficulties of publishers and booksellers to face the participation in these events, this decision makes one of the fairs impossible , which seems to be the purpose of the announcement now made by Funchal”.
In addition, they justify: “This decision is even more unacceptable when the Funchal Book Fair never took place on the date now announced. May, in 2020 and 2021 it took place in November and this year in June”.
Another big cock up with Funchal Câmara, done on purpose no doubt, and I really hope they reschedule their date.