Book Fair - Haiti Observer Blog

The joy of reading books can't be described in words. It's something that you understand only by real experience. Most readers report a better understanding of other people's feeling. They have a greater capacity for empathy and it is easier to make decisions, and prioritizing plans. Book fairs play a greater role in encouraging the reading habit among people of all age groups.

During the last week of May on 23 & 24, the Haitian authors will celebrate the third annual Haitian Caribbean Book Fair in Little Haiti under sponsorship of Sosyete Koukouy of Miami, with support from and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, as part of its Knights Arts Challenge, and Miami-Dade Cultural Affairs, Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners, City of Miami and Commissioner Keon Hardemon. Sosyete Koukouy, Inc is a cultural and artistic organization founded in 1985, dedicated to the advancement of Haitian culture in the United States through education, arts, and cultural presentations for Haitians in South Florida and beyond. The organization is celebrating its own 30th anniversary this year.

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Over the weekend of September 13-14, 2014, Residents of South Florida were treated to a spectacular showcase of Haitian and Caribbean art, history and literature at the staging of two events. With the aim of coming to learn more about the pervasive Haitian culture, guests were invited to attend these free events and witness the displays of not just what Haiti has to offer culturally, but the Caribbean as well.

The back-to-back events were sponsored by Mapou Cultural Center, run by owner of the Haitian book store Libreri Mapou, Jan Mapou. They were, on Saturday, from 6:00 to 9:00 in the evening, a cocktail party held at the Little Haiti Cultural Center, and, on Sunday, from 10:00 in the morning until 6:00 in the evening, a book fair which was also sponsored by the Knight Foundation. The first event featured musical items from various singers as well as a Haitian folk choir, while the second event featured appearances by famous Haitian author Gary Victor and Haitian-American author Edwidge Danticat.

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