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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
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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-
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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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