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Interview Portuguese Spanish    
Year 9 - N° 420 - June 28, 2015
ORSON PETER CARRARA
orsonpeter92@gmail.com
Matão, SP (Brasil)
 
Translation
Leonardo Rocha - l.rocha1989@gmail.com

 
Lúcia Inês Gomes: 

“To help disseminate the Good News in today’s society is
an urgent measure” 

The president of the Spiritist Centre Followers of Christ tells
us about the traditional Spiritist Book Fair in the Brazilian
city of Volta Redonda

Lúcia Inês Gomes (photo), a Spiritist since 1982, is the president of the Spiritist Centre Followers of Christ in the Brazilian city of Volta Redonda, in Rio de Janeiro state. In this interview she talks about the traditional Spiritist Book Fair of Volta Redonda, which will have this year its 27th edition, providing many opportunities for the dissemination of Spiri-

tism during the 14 days of the event. 

How and when did this event begin? 

In 1985 we began a little book sales event at our Spiritist Centre on the month of the group’s anniversary. That event is still going on and is now on its 30th edition. In 1988, a group of volunteers had the idea of setting up a book fair in one of the squares of Volta Redondo. The aim was very clear: to help disseminate of Spiritism by facilitating the wider public’s access to Spiritist books. 

How many books have you sold over the years? 

In 26 years we have sold a total of 131,960 books. In 2013 and 2014 we sold more than 10,000 books in 14 days. 

What was the most remarkable moment of all these years for you?

There have been so many, but I remember something that happened during the second edition of the book fair. The stands had not been well set up and when it began to rain, all the books got really wet. The paper quality was not as good as today and we put the books in boxes with the assumption that we had lost everything. Next day, when we opened the boxes we had a big surprise. The books were all dry and in perfect condition. That was a lesson for us not to let ourselves down and give up. We will always have to overcome hurdles along the way. 

When do you begin organising the event? 

As soon as we finish one book fair, we have a meeting to assess the positives and negatives and begin working on the following year’s event. All in all we have eight general meetings before the next book fair. This year, the event will be held between September 27th and October 14th.  

How important is the presence of book authors, who usually speak during the event? 

We began having talks by the authors during the fifth edition of the book fair. Since then, that has become a regular feature of the event. It is a very important part of the book fair, as many people who are passing by stop to pay attention. In the past six years, we have managed to have a talk at every day of the event.  

Is there anything else you would like to add? 

In the 25th anniversary of the book fair, we named Mr Isidório Ribeiro as its patron. He was a great contributor of the event from the very beginning. The main day of the event is October 9th, which is also the day Catholics ordered Spiritist books to be burnt in a fire in Barcelona in the 19th century – a very important day for Spiritism. 

Your final thoughts, please. 

This event is now a mark. More than two decades after it began it is possible to make an assessment of its meaning for the local and regional Spiritist Movement:

1) it gives Spiritism a public face before local society;

2) it is Spiritism great communication channel with the wider public in Volta Redonda and nearby towns and cities;

3) it is a meeting point for Spiritists, who share views and experiences during the 14 days the book fair lasts.

The book fair facilitates a union of all Spiritits Groups in the area, as we have to work together towards a common goal. The book fair also helps local Groups stock up their own bookshops and libraries. And, from a wider perspective, the book fair has become an established event in the city’s calendar, in October. It is clear, therefore, that the book fair needs to carry on strong. To help disseminate the Good News in today’s society is an urgent measure, even a charitable initiative. We have been working for the past 33 years with Spiritist books and for Spiritist books.



 


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