Highlights at the 2016 International Book Fair of Panama

The International Book Fair of Panama will once again return to Panama. The event began on Tuesday August 16, at the Atlapa Convention Center and will continue until Sunday August 21.

The event brings  63 exhibitors, 27 publishing houses, 15 distributors and over 100 thousand titles to Panama.

In the opening ceremony, which took place on Tuesday evening, a ribbon cutting event was lead by Orit Btesh the president of the Panamanian Chamber of Books along with the Deputy Minister of Education,  the Minister of the Presidency and the US ambassador to Panama.

Among the many exhibitors present at this year’s International Book Fair is American photojournalist Andrew Kaufman. Kaufman’s book of photographs, The Isthmus, A New Path Between The Seas, offers a in-depth look at the evolution of Panama over the last 12 years, which Kaufman has documented using an analog film camera.

The story his photographs tell, span over a decade of time and focus on the Isthmus and the Panama Canal expansion. "The project began in 2004 and ended on June 26, 2016, opening day of the expanded Canal," said Kaufman, who added that he wished "to witness men and women who would build the expansion."

Kaufman has worked for magazines such as Time, Newsweek, Fortune, Forbes, National Geographic Adventure and Rolling Stone Magazine. He will be at the International Book Fair in Panama for a conference on his new book, Friday 19 at 12:00 noon and on Saturday 20, at 2:00 p.m. On Sunday the 21 the photo journalist will be present for a book signing.

"In the end, the only thing we can take with us are memories. These are my memories of Panama” He says.

Closing ceremonies will take place on Sunday August 21. In the closing event, scientist Stanley Heckadon will be honored. Heckadon is a reacher scientist and writer born in banana growing region, Puerto Armuelles Panama Heckadon and is a founding member of the Panamanian Association of Anthropology. His work is closely tied to the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI). The STRI has published five of his books.