Between 21 April and 4 May, Banco de la República (the Central Bank of Colombia) joins the Bogotá International Book Fair (FILBo in Spanish) with a series of activities aimed at audiences of different ages.
In its 38th edition, the theme of FILBo will be Listening to one another is reading one another, and a large part of Banrepcultural‘s program will focus on conversations that explore the power of words, listening, and silence, as well as the launch of publications such as Mujeres escritoras centenarias del Gran Caldas, La sombra del Libertador, and Mitos y realidades de política monetaria, among others. This edition will also highlight Banco de la República’s stand, located in the Colombia Pavilion, where a variety of cultural and economic publications can be purchased, as well as the participation of Luis Ángel Arango Library in the International Meeting of Librarians.
Take note:
- Banrepcultural will offer 14 activities at FILBo 2026. Participation is free of charge once admission to the fair has been completed. More information here »
- Banco de la República has developed various initiatives related to inclusion and, on this occasion, has organized events aimed at the deaf community. Learn more »
- The International Meeting of Librarians will take place from April 22 to 24, providing a space for dialogue and learning in which librarians from Colombia and around the world share experiences and address key issues to strengthen their work. More information here »
As every year, starting on 22 April, Banco de la República joins the Bogotá International Book Fair (FILBo) with workshops, discussions, book launches, and various activities that are part of a program designed for diverse audiences.
Wednesday, 22 April / 10:00 a. m. / Gran salón F – Corferias
Discussion: Anthology of Short Graphic Narrative No. 1 and No. 2 (Antología de Narrativa Gráfica Breve No. 1 y No. 2) »
Between 2024 and 2025, the Leopoldo López Álvarez Cultural Center of Banco de la República in Pasto conducted two workshops on writing and graphic narrative creation, with the objective of engaging diverse audiences in scriptwriting, illustration, and editorial production. This event presents the results of these initiatives, developed with authors from Nariño and residents of Pasto.
Wednesday, 22 April/ 1:00 p. m. / Colombia Pavilion Auditorium - Corferias
Publication launch: The Shadow of the Liberator (La Sombra del Libertador) »
Banco de la República, through its Leopoldo López Álvarez Cultural Center in Pasto, presents La Sombra del Libertador, a graphic novel that commemorates the centenary of the first edition of Estudios sobre la vida de Bolívar (1925), a historical essay by the Pasto-born intellectual José Rafael Sañudo.
Wednesday, 22 April / 2:30 p. m. / Gran Salón F - Corferias
Discussion: The Muisca Raft: An Offering to Care for the World (La Balsa muisca: una ofrenda para cuidar el mundo) »
In this space, various stakeholders involved in the renovation of the Balsa muisca (Muisca raft) exhibition at the Gold Museum will engage in conversation. For the first time, this unique piece of Muisca goldwork is displayed alongside an offering container shaped like a seated figure, a ceramic vessel, fragments of animal skulls, and a set of gold litters—objects with which it was discovered in 1969 in a cave in Pasca, Cundinamarca.
Thursday, 23 April / 2:30 p. m. / Filbo LIJ Room - Corferias
Publication launch: Centennial Women Writers of Gran Caldas (Mujeres Escritoras Centenarias del Gran Caldas) »
Mujeres escritoras centenarias del Gran Caldas is a work led by the Cultural Center of Banco de la República in Manizales, which recovers the voices of women authors who, despite their talent and literary depth, were silenced by the patriarchal structures of their time. This discussion will reflect on silence as a historical imposition: the one that forced them to write under pseudonyms, to sign with their husband’s names, or to conceal their authorship in order to be read. It will also address silence as a form of resistance, as a space for intimate creation.
Thursday, 23 April / 2:00 p.m. / Colombia Pavilion Auditorium - Corferias
Publication launch: Myths and Realities of Monetary Policy (Mitos y realidades de política monetaria) »
Monetary policy and central banking are often part of public debate on the economic situation. However, such discussions often rely on mistaken or imprecise preconceptions that are not consistent with reality. Through their book, Mauricio Villamizar and Bibiana Taboada seek to promote an informed discussion by presenting the main arguments and processes that guide decision-making, aimed at a broad, non-specialized audience, explaining complex concepts in a clear and intuitive manner.
Friday, 24 April / 1:00 p. m. / Gran Salón F - Corferias
Publication launch: The Screen and the Cross: Morality and Catholicism at the Advent of Television. Bogotá and Mexico City (1950–1965) (La pantalla y la cruz. Moral y catolicismo al arribo de la televisión. Bogotá y Ciudad de México (1950-1965)) »
Laura Camila Ramírez (author), Omar Rincón (journalist), and Felipe Arias (historian) will engage in a discussion on the contradictions and convergences between religion and technology, as well as the trajectories of the Catholic world in response to the implementation of two opposing television systems: a private one in Mexico and a public one in Colombia, two countries with different religious regimes; Mexico with a secular State and Colombia with a confessional one. This book was co-published by Banco de la República and El Colegio de México.
Monday, 27 April / 1:00 p. m. / Gran Salón B – Corferias
Discussion: Contemporary Indian Narrative in the Voice of Krishna Candeth (La narrativa india contemporánea en la voz de Krishna Candeth) »
Krishna Candeth (Kerala, India) is a writer who explores themes such as love, friendship, and home. His first novel, All Stray Dogs Go to Heaven, weaves together past and present, dreams and reality, from multiple perspectives to explore emotions and the nature of truth. In this dialogue, he will discuss perspectives on contemporary Indian literature.
Monday, 27 April / 2:30 p. m. y 5:30 p. m. / Filbo LIJ Room - Corferias
Workshop: Living Poetry: Discovering José Luis Díaz Granados (Poesía viva: descubriendo a José Luis Díaz Granados) »
This workshop invites young people to explore the literature of José Luis Díaz Granados, whose poetic and narrative work is marked by introspection, memory, and resistance. Through guided readings, group discussions, and creative exercises, participants will reflect on how silence manifests as pause, as absence, as hidden language, and as a form of protest.
Tuesday, 28 April /1:00 p. m. / Jorge Isaacs Room - Corferias
Discussion: The Gentle Word and Silence in Indigenous Worldviews (La palabra dulce y el silencio en la cosmovisión indígena) »
This discussion proposes a reflection on the spiritual, symbolic, and social value of words and silence in Indigenous communities in Colombia from different regions, such as the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Caquetá, and the Amazon.
Tuesday, 28 April / 1:00 p. m. / Filbo LIJ Room - Corferias / The event will include interpretation in Colombian Sign Language (LSC in Spanish)
Workshop: Magic in Sign Language (La magia en lengua de señas) »
Did you know that secrets can also be written with magic? In this workshop, inspired by the novel Hamamelis y el secreto, deaf children will create secret messages using simple invisible ink techniques, while discovering how to reveal and share magical secrets, with sign language and crafts as the main focus.
Tuesday, 28 April / 1:00 p. m./ Colombia Pavilion Auditorium - Corferias
Discussion: Women Searchers: Stories of Remarkable Colombian Women (Mujeres buscadoras: historias de colombianas notables) »
The Cultural Network of Banco de la República and the Search Unit for Persons Reported Missing (UBPD in Spanish) present a set of biographies of women searchers, available in the Banrepcultural Encyclopedia, aimed at raising awareness of the stories of women who refuse to remain silent or suffer in silence and who, instead, have devoted their lives to searching for their disappeared loved ones, demanding their rights as victims, advancing memory processes, and promoting the creation of laws and mechanisms for search efforts.
Wednesday, 29 April / 1:00 p. m. / Filbo LIJ Room - Corferias / The event will include interpretation in Colombian Sign Language (LSC)
Workshop: The Midnight Bite and the Animals We Live With (El mordisco de la medianoche y los animales con los que habitamos) »
Inspired by “La clase de artes,” Chapter 21 of the novel El mordisco de la medianoche, deaf youth will immerse themselves in the fascinating world of Colombian wildlife. Through artistic and creative activities centered on the most representative animals, participants will explore each person’s history, culture, and worldview, drawing on imagination and prior knowledge.
Monday, 4 May / 4:00 p. m. / Jorge Isaacs Room - Corferias
Discussion: The Importance of Silence in Wind Instruments (La importancia del silencio en los instrumentos de viento) »
This discussion offers a sensitive and technical exploration of the role of silence in the performance and creation of music with wind instruments. It will reflect on how silence is not absence, but rather a presence charged with intention, emotion, and structure. The session will open a space to consider silence as a form of language, as an artistic gesture, and as a means of connection between the musician, the instrument, and the listener.
Check the fair’s program, plan your visit, and take part in the activities that Banrepcultural has prepared for you, your colleagues, family, and friends.
