The extraordinary life and literary legacy of Dominican historian Frank Moya Pons is at the center stage of the Santo Domingo International Book Fair 2025 with a dedicated pavilion offering a fascinating, immersive journey into his personal and professional world. The Santo Domingo International Book Fair (FILSD) is happening from 5 September through 5 October 2025 at the Plaza de la Cultura at Av. Maximo Gomez.
The pavilion has been set up at the National Library on the Plaza de la Cultura fair grounds with exhibits on his lifelong career dedicated to research and present Dominican history to local and international readership.
Moya Pons is regarded as one of the country’s foremost contemporary chroniclers. The Moya Pons pavilion, conceived by cultural curator Ylonka Nacidit Perdomo, transports visitors to understand the research and writing process undertaken by Moya Pons.
The centerpiece of the pavilion is a near-exact replica of his office, featuring typewritten documents and copies of early versions of his seminal work, Manual de Historia Dominicana —one of his most well-known and top-selling books.
Behind the desk of the celebrated author and former president of the Dominican Academy of History, the display is rich with historical artifacts. “We have original antique newspapers and Colección Colombina volumes,” explained guide Martha Ortega. “These cover topics from the arrival of Christopher Columbus on the island to the North American invasions, among other subjects.”
The pavilion is organized into themed sections: ‘Colección Colombina,’ ‘Historiografía Dominicana siglo XIX,’ ‘Documentos históricos,’ ‘Documentos Frank Moya Pons,’ and ‘Homenajes a personajes.’ It is open to the public daily from 9am on fair days.
Visitors can explore the trajectory of the man behind the history books through a mosaic of personal mementos. These include a black-and-white portrait of him as a four-year-old, a time when he was already reading, accompanied by his childhood primer, Mantilla.
Further insight into Moya Pons’s private life are provided by his typewriter and various handwritten manuscripts. A personal journal contains his signatures, notes for his second wife Miriam, poems, songs, and photographs with family and friends. Moya Pons is a widow of his first wife who died of a genetic illness.
Following the exhibit’s flow, Ortega highlights the 24 published books by Moya Pons, noting that the exhibit displays the historical works that inspired him to write the Manual de Historia Dominicana, alongside other significant texts on the nation’s history and cultural heritage.
As a passionate student of national history, Moya Pons also shares historical documents in the collection that pay special tribute to the Fathers of the Dominican Homeland, including Emilio Prud’Homme, author of the Dominican National Anthem’s lyrics, and Américo Lugo, the influential essayist, historian, and jurist. Pons has also authored numerous influential books on Dominican economics and culture.
Moya Pons holds a Ph.D. in Latin American History and Economic Development from New York’s Columbia University and has held academic positions at various institutions, including the City College of New York. Moya Pons served as the country’s first Minister of Environment and Natural Resources after the passing of Environmental Law 64-00.
Read more :
Hoy
2 October 2025