The Ministry of Culture and Youth, through the Center for Artistic and Cultural Production, is preparing to hold the National Reading Festival (FNL25), a project that year after year reaffirms the commitment to democratic access to culture, collective creation, and the value of the word as a driver of social transformation. It will be held from May 30 to June 1, 2025, at the Antigua Aduana.

• From May 30 to June 1, the Antigua Aduana will be filled with books, workshops, and poetry in a free celebration open to the public
• Medellín, Guest City of Honor, brings a high-level cultural delegation that will share experiences of social transformation through reading
• More than 150 activities and 132 stands will offer spaces to play, create, read, listen, and reconnect with the magic of words
• For the first time, the National Reading Festival has received the Essential Costa Rica event license, as it aligns with the values of the national brand

The Ministry of Culture and Youth (MCJ), through the Center for Artistic and Cultural Production (CPAC), is preparing to hold the National Reading Festival, a project that year after year reaffirms the commitment to democratic access to culture, collective creation, and the value of the word as a driver of social transformation. It will be held from May 30 to June 1, 2025, at the Antigua Aduana.

With more than 132 stands and 150 free activities, the Festival will take over the Antigua Aduana for three days to host a gathering of authors, publishing projects, bookstores, collectives, and reading communities. The event seeks to strengthen the national literary ecosystem and bring reading closer to young audiences through enjoyment, participation, and exchange.

Jorge Rodríguez Vives, Minister of Culture and Youth, stated that “the 2025 National Reading Festival is a reminder that the word, in all its forms, is a vital bridge for connection, imagination, and social transformation. During these three days of free and open celebration, we want to invite everyone to discover or rediscover the pleasure of reading, of sharing stories, and thereby strengthen the Costa Rican literary ecosystem together.”

“This 2025, we honor writer Lara Ríos, whose work has impacted generations; we also have the distinction of sharing our festival with Medellín, as Guest City of Honor. We’ll see you at the Antigua Aduana to enjoy this grand celebration of the word together,” the minister concluded.

For her part, Sally Molina, director of CPAC, stated: “The National Reading Festival is an invitation to reconnect with stories, with words, and with the emotions they awaken. From CPAC, we are proud to produce this event that not only celebrates reading as enjoyment but also boosts the national literary sector, fosters networks, and opens doors to new cultural opportunities for all.”

This year, the Festival will feature the special participation of Medellín as Guest City of Honor, in recognition of its commitment to building peace and social fabric through culture. The Colombian delegation will be led by Santiago Silva Jaramillo, Medellín’s Secretary of Citizen Culture, along with key figures from Latin American thought, art, and literature. “In the district of Medellín, we are honored by the invitation to be the guest city at the National Reading Festival. We will be showcasing the importance of the city’s Plan for Reading, Writing, and Orality, its book events, library system, and celebrating our 350 years as a city,” highlights Santiago Silva.

The guest city will have its own programming within the event, with high-profile guests such as documentary filmmaker and writer Carolina Calle Vallejo, filmmaker Víctor Gaviria González, and journalist and chronicler Patricia Nieto Nieto, director of the University of Antioquia Press. Additionally, thanks to the efforts of the Colombian Embassy in Costa Rica, writer Melba Escobar—a journalist, writer, and columnist featured in the White Ravens catalog of the International Youth Library in Munich—will also be present.

Representing Costa Rican literature, 29 stands will showcase independent authors, including writer María Pérez Yglesias, author of Diario de una viajera distraída and Silencio, el mundo tiene el ala rota; Daniel Fernández, author of Testigo de mi muerte; and Jeannette Soto Segura, author of Cuentos de luz en tiquicia. In addition, the National Reading Festival joins UNESCO by incorporating its activities into the global agenda commemorating the anniversary of the Convention on the Protection and Promotion of the Diversity of Cultural Expressions.

Tributes, Poetry, and Cinema: Unmissable Moments of the Festival

Among the most notable events is the tribute to Costa Rican writer Lara Ríos, one of the most beloved authors among generations of readers in the country. Her work and legacy will be honored in a special tribute attended by the writer herself. This year, the main hall of the Festival will bear her name as a tribute to her career.

The Festival’s programming unfolds like a map of experiences where literature engages with other languages and formats. From poetry to cinema, through game creation or live music, every activity is designed to invite the public to read, feel, and create from new perspectives.

The full program can be consulted at: www.mcj.go.cr/cpac

From May 30 to June 1, the National Reading Festival will fill San José with stories, ideas, voices, and emotions. It will be a space for celebration, connection, and transformation—a festival where everyone is invited to read, imagine, and help rebuild the country we dream of.