The 2010 Fira del Llibre (Book Fair) opened in Palma de Mallorca yesterday in the Passeig des Born. The fair will be open daily from 10h00 to 14h00 and from 16h00 to 21h00, until June 6th. The Fair is organized by Fires i Congressos de Balears and the Gremi de Llibreters de Mallorca, under the patronage of the Consell de Mallorca.

I went there yesterday but found all 27 exhibitors’ stands closed. I was either too late for the morning session or too early for the afternoon hours, whichever way you might want to look at it. I was annoyed, really, because I thought an event like that should be open during the lunch break as well. After all, that is when office people or mortals with a job might have time to pass by and have a browse in one book or other. Anyway, the good news is that there will be a 5 % discount on any book that you might buy during the next nine days, here in Palma’s Passeig des Born.

This year’s XII Festival de Poesía de la Mediterrània is not really a part of the book fair. But it will take place from May 31st to June 2nd, also in Palma. Biel Mesquida’s festival will this year be accompanied by an artists’ activity at the Centre de Recursos para la Creació Contemporánea Quarter de Intendencia in Carrer Mar, the former Gabella de la Sal. The festival’s highlight, the Gran Nit de la Poesía will be held at the Teatre Principal de Palma on June 2nd at 21h00, when admission will be free and franc. Fifteen poets will present aural samples of their work: Saleh Abdalahi Hamudi, Nicole Brossard, Nevena Budimir, Antoni Canu, Jacques Dupin, Mustafa Köz, Joseph Pedrals, Jaime C. Pons, Arnau Pons, Peru Saizprez, Remi Raji, Carles Santos, Christian Uetz, Jose Viale Moutinho and Blanca Llum Vidal, in English, German, Spanish, Catalan, Arabic, Turkish and Portuguese.

The photo (top) was taken in Palma de Mallorca, Baleares, Spain. The date: May 28th, 2010. The time was 14:52:51.