Spanish is alive and thriving in the United States; in fact, the country now ranks fourth worldwide in number of Spanish speakers. It is widely spoken in both public and private spheres—and not only within the Latino community. With more than 45 million speakers, Spanish is the second most spoken language in the United States. It can be heard in the halls of higher education institutions, as poets breathe it in, and as truck drivers, babysitters, and roofers dream in Spanish.
For many, Spanish is a gold mine. According to UCLA Newsroom, approximately 68 million Latinos living in the United States generate a GDP of $4.1 trillion. With the aim of highlighting this cultural richness, we invite you to the Chicago Book Fair 2026 to freely reflect on Spanish and on the literature emerging across the United States from coast to coast.
The Chicago Book Fair will take place from May 7–9, 2026, at the Joseph Regenstein Library at the University of Chicago, in collaboration with EL BEISMAN PRESS, The University of Chicago Library, El Cafecito at the University of Chicago, UNAM Chicago, Casas Michoacán, and Instituto Cervantes.