A Remarkable Conclusion for Uruguay at the Guadalajara International Book Fair: translations, agreements, and a historic award

Uruguay’s presence at the Guadalajara International Book Fair (FIL) yielded concrete advances in the international promotion of national literature. In the Rights Room—FIL’s main hub for negotiating publishing rights—Uruguay XXI presented the IDA Translation Program and distributed the catalog of works honored at the Bartolomé Hidalgo Awards. Both tools drew significant interest from publishers and agents working with translations.

During the business sessions, Omaira Rodríguez, a specialist at Uruguay XXI, held fifteen meetings with representatives from European and Latin American publishing houses. The Bartolomé Hidalgo catalog—featuring finalists and winners in narrative, poetry, essays, nonfiction, children’s literature, and graphic novels—offered an up-to-date snapshot of Uruguay’s literary landscape and became a starting point for conversations about potential translation projects.

Interest in the catalog was accompanied by specific inquiries about how the IDA Program works, its scope, and opportunities for foreign publishers to apply.

In addition to its activities in the business area, Uruguay hosted a national stand coordinated by the Ministry of Education and Culture (MEC) and the Uruguayan Chamber of Books. The stand welcomed the invited Uruguayan creators of this edition: writers Eugenia Ladra and Diego Recoba, cartoonist Nicolás Peruzzo, and illustrator Jorge Mato (ca_teter).

The IDA Program from an international publisher’s perspective

Among the professionals attending FIL, Guillermo Camacho, the Colombian director of the Danish publishing house Aurora Boreal, highlighted the impact of the IDA Program in making Uruguayan authors visible in Denmark. With support from the program, Aurora Boreal has translated works by Fernanda Trías and Mauricio Rosencof.

“Translating in Denmark is extremely expensive, and sales are low because of the library system. Without support like the IDA Program, it would have been impossible to continue. These funds allow Latin American authors to reach Danish readers,” he said.

Camacho, who works with sixteen different international translation programs, praised the Uruguayan system:

“It is one of the most agile and straightforward programs. The application is simple, the links work, and responses come on time.”

Aurora Boreal incorporated Uruguayan authors as part of its strategy to revive interest in Latin American literature in Denmark, where translations from the region have diminished in recent decades. The press began with Trías’s Mugre rosa and La azotea, and is currently working on the translation of La furia de los montes, planned for 2026 or 2027.

With these titles, Trías’s presence abroad continues to expand through translations supported by the IDA Program.

A landmark recognition for Uruguay at FIL

The 2025 edition of the Guadalajara International Book Fair was marked by a milestone for Uruguayan literature: Fernanda Trías once again won the Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz Prize, one of the most prestigious awards given by the FIL to the best novel written by a woman in Spanish.

The author was recognized for El monte de las furias, strengthening her position as one of the most relevant voices in contemporary Spanish-language literature. With this award, Trías became only the second writer to win the prize twice—she first received it in 2021 for Mugre rosa. Until now, this distinction had been achieved only by Mexican author Cristina Rivera Garza.

The award ceremony was attended by Uruguay’s ambassador to Mexico, Santiago Wins Arnabal, who accompanied the author.

Trías’s international reach has been supported by translations funded by the IDA Program, including La azotea (English and Danish), Mugre rosa (Portuguese, Italian, and Swedish), and El monte de las furias (Portuguese, selected in 2025).

Participation that strengthens a long-term strategy

Through its professional meetings, the distribution of the Bartolomé Hidalgo catalog, growing interest in the IDA Program, and Trías’s international recognition, Uruguay’s participation in Guadalajara helped reinforce partnerships and open new opportunities for the global circulation of national authors.

The combination of strong literary production, institutional support tools, and a presence in key publishing business spaces continues to expand the reach of Uruguayan literature into new markets.