Festival of the Word of Puerto Rico seeks to help the Spanish language in the U.S.

The Festival of the Word , the fourth edition in Puerto Rico , wants to strengthen the literary connection between the Caribbean island and the Anglo world , as well as " help (language) Spanish in the U.S.," the director told Efe programming of the event, the Spanish José Manuel Fajardo.

The director of the event, the writer Mayra Santos Febres , Efe further elaborated that , coinciding with the century of existence of the New York newspaper in Spanish "The press " has prepared a special agenda that promotes bilingualism for a festival celebrated until next Sunday in San Juan .

Thus, through the streets of San Juan are already Latino writers but preferably in English writing as Daniel Alarcon , Justin Torres and Larry La Fountain .

This objective of boosting the visibility of Puerto Rican literature abroad and to strengthen ties between the Latino writers is why the Word Festival moves next week to New York , where he held a second part , between 16th and 19th .

"This is an international festival held in Puerto Rico ," said Fajardo , to make clear that there is room in the event to promote literature in general , whether in Spanish , English or any other language.

Another of the objectives in this issue is to highlight the link between journalism and literature , issue addressed in depth the Spanish Jacinto Antón , linked to the culture section of the newspaper El País for over two decades.

This edition highlights the presence of the Portuguese Lidia Jorge , whom Fajardo defined as one of the leading figures of European literature : " It is one of the great voices of Europe" .

In the corridors of the imposing Museum of Art Puerto Rico could see today also Colombian Santiago Gamboa , Venezuelan Juan Carlos Mendez Guedez , Yolanda Lopez and Puerto Ricans and fellow Matienzo Roxana Juan López Bauza .

López Bauza is the new winner of the third edition of the Americas for Best Latin American narrative for his ambitious and quixotic work " Barataria " , a satirical novel about the political status of Puerto Rico .

Another of these is the Puerto Rican Eduardo Lalo , winner of the last edition of the Romulo Gallegos Prize for his novel " Simone " , who claimed during the inauguration of Puerto Rico flee festival of rhetoric and empty words .