To take advantage of the thaw in American-Cuban relations, PW, the Combined Book Exhibit and PubMatch have created the U.S. Publishing Mission to Cuba set to take place February 12-17 next year. The event, to coincide with the Havana International Book Fair, will feature a two-day conference for U.S. and Cuban publishing executives.
The conference will include several panels that will address editorial issues, particularly about academic and children’s book publishing; digital publishing technology, copyright and distribution. Cuban participants will include include representatives from the Cuban Book Institute, National Center for Copyright, National Union of Cuban Writers and Artists, Hermanos Saíz Association, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Higher Education and the José Martí National Library.
The U.S. Publishing Mission to Cuba is the brainchild of Cevin Bryerman, executive v-p and publisher of PW, and Jon Malinowski, president of Combined Book Exhibit, and PubMatch, an international rights organization co-owned by PW and Combined Book Exhibit.
“This is an historic event. U.S. publishers want to do business in Cuba, and Cuban editors and culture ministers want to promote the work of Cuban authors abroad,” said Bryerman, who with Malinowski negotiated the details of the mission with the Cuban Book Institute, part of the Cuban Ministry of Culture. The U.S. Embassy in Cuba also expressed great interest in the mission. A licensed U.S. travel agency for Cuba, Cultural Island Travel, is handling the travel arrangements of the U.S. contingent.
“A wealth of opportunities exists for U.S. publishers, authors and other members of the publishing community who want to tap this new, culturally rich market,” said Malinowski, “I am pleased and honored to be part of something so special and historic.”
The cost to attend is $4,500 per person for the entire week.
Publishing executives who would like to be invited to be part of the mission to Cuba are asked to contact Bryerman, 212-377-5703 (cbryerman@publishersweekly.com), or Jon Malinowski (jon@combinedbook.com), 914-739-7575 ext. 6.
