Rafael Pombo, an indispensable in the FilBo whose space deserves to be visited by very stiff and very nice readers

As the editions of the Bogotá International Book Fair -FilBo- progress, there are authors who are consolidating themselves in this literary festival, not only because of their names, but also because of the importance of their works within the literature in Colombia. Some have been incarnated in the pavilions longer than others, and this is the case with Rafael Pombo.

And it is that the Bogotá writer became that figure, so necessary, for children to have an approach with literature without going directly through the works that, due to their level of complexity, become incomprehensible 'bricks'. With Pombo and characters such as 'Rin Rín Tadpole' or the cat 'Michín', children's literature took a helm at the beginning of the 20th century and that, in the middle of 2022, does not lose its course.

That is why his life, work and anecdotes will not only be appreciated at the main fair, which, by the way, starts this Tuesday, April 19, but will also feature a virtual component called 'Pombo the Apprentice with his Magic Universes' and which is made up of a series of digital events that allow greater coverage both in children and in their attendants.

This space was created and is being run by the Rafael Pombo Foundation, which makes a laudable contribution to literary culture by promoting child-friendly spaces, and as expected, FilBo could not be an exception for them, especially knowing that, for this year, the fair will have hybrid spaces dedicated to this and other authors.

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But this space is not just for infants and their caregivers. This multimodal experience was also designed for the enjoyment of people of all ages - especially the new generations - so that they can learn about new communication options that result in teaching more about Pombo's contribution to national literature.

The multisensory experience also encompasses a staging of the gigantography contained in Pombo's iconic characters, such as 'The Poor Viejecita', the same one that had nothing to eat, but meats, fruits, sweets, cakes, eggs, bread and fish; 'Juan Matachín' and the same walking tadpole, which one morning came out of his very stiff and very nice house.

According to María del Pilar Arango, director of the Pombo Foundation, one of the objectives of the Rafael Pombo Foundation is to bet on the construction of digital resources that aim “to be a scenario in which children and young people, through creative laboratories with digital emphasis, can conceive technologies from a perspective critical and creative, allowing them to assume themselves as digital citizens”.

He also indicated that contents such as 'Pombo the Apprentice with his Magic Universes' allow us to go “beyond” creativity and imagination based on a reference in Colombian literature such as Jorge Issacs, José Asunción Silva and José Eusebio Caro.

It should be noted that this analogue space will have several technological tools that allow us to visualize the Pombo Museum based on a 360° tour where the physical and the digital come together in a single space.

Finally, it should be remembered that the Rafael Pombo stand at the Book Fair in the Colombian capital, the guests of honor are the children who, in the midst of so many authors and literary novelties, decide to let themselves be carried away by those stories that have remained in time for more than a century.

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