Quito, Nov 10 (EFE) .- The International Book Fair of Quito today opened the doors of its tenth edition, in which 61 national and international writers participate, with special emphasis on encouraging reading among children.

"The emphasis in this fair will be on children's literature to give more impulse to children to read more, also to the gender literature and how to promote female authors, and the province of Manabí, "José Haro, spokesperson for the event, explained to Efe.

Until November 19, book lovers they can participate in more than 250 activities planned in the agenda of this call, in which the director of the National Library of Argentina and literary author, the Argentine-Canadian Alberto Manguel, will be the guest of honor.

The Bicentennial Events Center of the Ecuadorian capital, with 5,000 square meters, will be housed during the next nine days 73 exhibitors, including those dedicated to children's literature and those who will present Manabí as a guest province, with their own informative, playful and gastronomic.

Today's inauguration ceremony was attended by the Minister of Culture and Heritage of Ecuador, Oswaldo Almeida, and the host country's chancellor, María Fernanda Espinosa, along with municipal authorities and representatives of the publishing and cultural world.

"The book is the safest passage to achieve our dreams (..) In its pages we will find the past, the present and future, "said the minister at the opening ceremony.

And he described the book fair as a" party "," a tribute to the intelligence of the homeland, and of the great homeland, Our America. "

One of the objectives of this tenth edition is to bring the invited authors and writers to the public as cultural bait that stimulates and encourages the habit of reading in Ecuador, which has not just started and registers one of the lowest rates in the Americas.

This time the fair will highlight the literature written by women Latin American women, such as the Colombians Gabriela Roca and Carolina Sanín, the Argentines Alicia Barberis and Inés Garland, the Cuban Marilyn Bobes, the Spanish women Lara Moreno and Verónica Aranda, the Brazilian Marina Colasanti, Bolivian Magela Baudoin and Uruguayan Fernanda Trías, who will take part in the events.

Other important names such as the Mexicans Alberto Chimal and Martín Solares, Colombians Ramón Cote, Fabio Jurado and Jotamario Arbeláez, the Cuban Rogelio Riverón, the Egyptian Fabio Morabito, the Peruvians Harold Alva and Katya Adaui, and the Chilean Luis Daniel Rocca.