For Schulz, the importance of hosting a book festival in Los Angeles is evident. In this city, she says, Spanish is spoken and breathed.
Marisol Schulz Manaut has always been a precocious and voracious reader. Her earliest memories place her as a child whose parents read to her every day, and then as a teenager who dove into juvenile and adventure literature: Robinson Crusoe, Mujercitas, among others.
“Reading has helped me understand the world,” says the General Director of the LéaLA Festival and Feria Internacional del Libro de Guadalajara (FIL), Hispanic America’s largest book fair.
“Previously, the free textbooks in Mexican schools were very good; that’s where I grew up. I was fascinated by reading them; you’d find great authors and major works of literature,” adds Schulz.
Books have always accompanied her. She says she was very shy, so reading was a great companion for exploring her inner self.
“This has been the case throughout my life. Books have been with me from different fronts. I’ve been an editor, very young, I’ve been an editorial director, and now, I am leading the LéaLA and FIL festivals,” she adds.
“Benito Taibo will interact with children and young people; can you imagine the impact he will have on them? I believe that if a young person sees and interacts with a writer like Taibo, it can change their life,” says Schulz.
For Schulz, the importance of hosting a book festival in Los Angeles is evident. In this city, she says, Spanish is spoken and breathed. The festival, since its creation in 2011, has been able to consolidate the vision of its founder, Lic. Raúl Padilla, former director of the University of Guadalajara and also founder of the FIL and many cultural ventures.
“We continue to honor his vision, to make a mark in this city. We’ve had ups and downs, due to budget reasons, but we’re still here. We want to allow the Latino community in Los Angeles to interact with great writers. We bring the best, people who will leave a mark. For example, Benito Taibo will interact with children and young people; can you imagine the impact he will have on them? I believe that if a young person sees and interacts with a writer like Taibo, it can change their life,” says Schulz.
In addition to the talented writers presented at LéaLA, Schulz mentions that they have an alliance with LAUSD to bring students to the festival.
“We know the reading problems that exist, but we also know the impact we can make. Reading is about reflecting on important things. This work of changing things is a task of ants, but we must persist and keep doing it. We have to contribute our grain of sand,” she adds.
This year’s festival slogan is ‘Let’s Build Peace Together.’ A necessity for the times being experienced both in Mexico and the United States.
“It’s a statement. It’s a way of saying enough to violence, bullying, violence against women, and aggression against migrants. I am scared of what’s happening. I am scared of so much violence. From our end, we can contribute, as I mentioned, reading is reflection, and we must reflect on this,” she says.
“The important thing is not to fear reading. So many worlds, so many realities are discovered through reading, and we have access to reflection. There are books for everyone,” she says.
Marisol Schulz assumed full leadership of FIL and LéaLA after the death in 2023 of its founder, Lic. Raúl Padilla. He was ahead of his time, initiating countless cultural projects and promoting many more.
During Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s presidency, FIL has not received government support. The government has labeled it a space for the far-right, which Schulz considers absurd.
“We have around 800 writers. One cannot think like everyone else. There is freedom of expression. It’s absurd for such an important fair in the world to be a bastion for the far-right when there are so many voices. I hope that with Claudia (the elected president of Mexico), things might change,” she says.
“We continue to honor his (Raul Padilla) vision, to make a mark in this city. We want to allow the Latino community in Los Angeles to interact with great writers. We bring the best, people who will leave a mark.”
Schulz does not believe that people are reading less; she thinks reading is present but across different spaces and platforms. People read in print, digital, on computers. She herself engages with reading from various platforms.
“I travel a lot, and it’s impossible to carry so many books. Also, due to the nature of FIL, I have to read a lot, so I carry my e-reader. The important thing is not to fear reading. So many worlds, so many realities are discovered, and we have access to reflection. There are books for everyone, the right book for each person. A novel, a story, an essay. There’s always the book that’s just right; you have to find it. I invite you to come to the festivals; a book, a writer, can change your life,” she says.
To her, it is ironic the image sometimes seen on airplanes.
“I’ve seen it!” she says. “There are people who prefer to travel for three hours staring at the ceiling rather than reading a book. They do nothing during the trip. They stare at the ceiling around them, they stare at their chest. Just think of all the possibilities they’re missing when they open a book,” Schulz says.
Meanwhile, the presence of her mentor Raúl Padilla always accompanies her.
“This year, it hasn’t happened much. But last year, when I had a problem, I would say, ‘I’ll call Raúl.’ Then I would realize that he had passed away,” she concludes.
NOTE: The Spanish Book Fair and Literary Festival of Los Angeles (LéaLA) will be held at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes, in the historic heart of Los Angeles, from September 19 to 22, with free admission. This event is organized by the Fundación Universidad de Guadalajara USA, with the support of the legacy of philanthropist Phyrrha Gladys Grodman.
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