Queues mark the return of the International Book Biennial to São Paulo

Four years later and a pandemic, the International Book Biennial is once again held in person in São Paulo. The 26th edition of the event began yesterday (2) at Expo Center Norte, in São Paulo, and has been generating huge queues. On this sunny Sunday (3), for example, the public who decided to visit the Bienal do Livro complained of waiting in line for up to two hours to enter the place. Queues mark the return of the International Book Biennial to São Paulo

Administrator Andre Kaufmann, 56, was one of those who were at Expo Center Norte today and complained a lot about the lack of organization to enter the event. According to him, there were no specific queues, for example, for those who had already purchased tickets in advance. He also complained that several people who arrived later, managed to enter the place before him. “I think it’s really important [um evento como esse]. Because it’s the demonstration that everyone is still reading. But they could do something more sensible and organized. If I have a ticket here [que comprei adiantado], [deveria entrar em] a queue. Who will buy ticket, another queue,” she said. “Whoever is arriving at the last minute cannot cross you who arrived here at 10 am. This is disrespectful,” he said indignantly.

The difficulty in the queue was also reported by Nádia Miranda, 42 years old. She said she had waited for two hours to be able to enter the Bienal. Despite this, she was still excited to attend the event. “It’s tiring [esperar na fila]. But I think, when we get in, it’s worth it,” she told the report on Brazil Agency. At this year’s event, she plans to buy books and get in touch with some authors. “I follow independent authors a lot. So today I came to see some of them that are exhibiting here,” she said. A voracious reader, according to her friends, Nádia reinforces the importance of reading these days. “The world today is very dirty, but the art world is different: we can travel,” she said.

Health worker Marilene Bezerra de Sousa Oliveira, 51, brought her family to the Bienal this Sunday. After she also spent two hours in line to enter the venue, she was excited to attend the event for the first time in her life. “I didn’t know, it’s my first time here. I didn’t know about the Bienal. I knew I had it, but this is the first time I’m here,” she told the report. Marilene says that she reads less than she would like, because of the rush of everyday life. But her daughter reads a lot. “I read less than my daughter. She reads two books a month. I used to read, but now with the rush [fica mais difícil]”, she said.

Inside

Inside the Bienal, what was also seen was a lot of people, a lot of crowding. Walking through the corridors of the Expo Center Norte was not a simple task to be carried out this Sunday. There were lines in the restrooms, in the hallways and even in some bookstore stands. But that didn’t discourage the audience. Case of student and receptionist Mateus Henrique Santos, 17 years old. “It’s my first time. And I’m loving it so much,” he said excitedly to the Brazil Agency.

Holding several bags full of books he had just bought, he was very happy to have met the author of an edition he purchased this Sunday. “I don’t know how many books I bought. But I bought, for example, Player No 1 [Ernest Cline], of the movie. There’s also an author I’ve never read anything by her, but I bought it on the recommendation of a friend. And she made a dedication to me in the book The Vacation of My Life [Clara Savelli],” he said.

“How I’m going to pay for all these books I’ve bought I don’t know. But I did,” he said, laughing, confessing that he would still do more shopping. “Now I intend to walk more. And maybe buy something else because my birthday is coming up and my sister is going to buy me more stuff,” he said. Not even the lines to pay for the books or the crowd that circulated through the Bienal shook him this Sunday. “I loved it. I like it because it shows that there are a lot of people interested in reading,” he said.

Rita de Cássia Leite Batista, 57, who works in the field of education, was also not shaken by the crowd at the Bienal. “She’s cool. It’s motivating to know that she has a lot of people who still enjoy reading. I have always encouraged my daughters to read. I’m quite happy because yesterday there were 500,000 people here. And today is full too,” she told her. With her daughter, she took advantage of a period of rest to read one of the books she had just purchased. “I bought some books but, in fact, I came to see my favorite author, William Sanches”, she said, waiting for the time when the author would do an autograph session. “I already got my password [para o autógrafo]. I’m going to give him a hug,” she said.

In addition to autograph sessions, lectures, book sales and contact with authors, this year’s Bienal also features environments for selfies, such as one that reproduces the cover of the book Torto Arado, by Itamar Vieira Junior, or one where you pretend to be a Barbie doll inside a box. There are also specific environments for children.

wanted by Brazil Agency, the organization of the Bienal informed that it expects to receive, until the 10th of July, an audience of 600 thousand visitors. “According to the Brazilian Book Chamber (CBL), organizer of the event, the first day (2) of the Bienal had a large attendance of the public eager for novelties, which caused queues. , in order to further improve the structure aimed at visitors, primarily in terms of visitor safety. Due to this large flow, the organization has incorporated into the routine of the event, as of today, an increase in the operational staff”, says the note from the event.