At a press conference earlier this year announcing Spain’s guest of honor program at FIL 2024, Ernest Urtasun I Domènech confirmed a trend that’s been apparent to anyone paying attention to the global publishing scene: the Spanish publishing industry is enjoying a renaissance.
“We’re going through a great moment for literature in our country, with an array of talented young writers,” Domènech said. “Our participation in this year’s FIL comes at a great time for Spain, allowing us to take advantage of this platform to showcase our literature and the Spanish publishing industry to the world.” In addition, he noted, the FIL offers a platform to highlight the importance of Latin America to Spanish publishing.
In her remarks, María José Gálvez Salvador, director of books, comics, and the promotion of reading at Spain’s Ministry of Culture, agreed, and also spoke of the importance to the Spanish publishing business of Latin America, as well as the growth of Spanish-language readership in the U.S. “One of our aims is to create a sustainable flow in terms of book distribution between Spain and the rest of the Spanish-speaking world, with the participation of all sectors of the publishing ecosystem,” she said.
Presented under the theme “A Two-Way Street,” that cultural and literary exchange is at the heart of Spain’s impressive guest of honor program at this year’s FIL. Nicaraguan-born author Sergio Ramírez, the 2017 recipient of Spain’s prestigious Cervantes Prize, who is currently living in exile in Mexico, curated Spain’s literary program. And over several days, the program will feature themes of gender equality, linguistic plurality, diversity, and sustainability.
Highlights
Among the more than 150 Spanish authors slated to attend are many prominent literary figures, including novelist Rosa Montero, known for her feminist perspective and exploration of social issues; Bernardo Atxaga, a Basque writer who blends reality with fantasy; Galician author Manuel Rivas, who is celebrated for his poetic style; historical novelist María Dueñas; and Fernando Aramburu whose novel Patria, about ETA terrorists, was adapted into a popular TV show.
As part of this year’s FIL, the Festival Otra Mirada (December 1–3) gathers booksellers from across Ibero-America and will feature, among others, Spanish booksellers Paco Goyanes and Ana Cañellas, who run the Cálamo bookstore in Zaragoza; from Madrid, the Rafael Alberti bookstore’s Lola Larumbe; and Juan Casamayor, editor of the Páginas de Espuma publishing house.
This year's FIL illustrators’ forum, FILustra, which features illustrators and authors of graphic novels and comics, will be run in collaboration with Spain’s Federation of Illustrators (FADIP), and will include Spain’s Bea Lema, Violeta Lópiz, Javier Mariscal, and Elena Odriozola, among others, who will participate in panel discussions with Mexican authors including Alberto Chimal, Andrés Cota Iriart, Aura García Junco, Emiliano Monge, and Isabel Zapata.
Spain’s Instituto Cervantes, dedicated to promoting Spanish culture worldwide, will publish and present an edition of Federico García Lorca’s poem “Cry to Rome” at the FIL, translated into 30 of Mexico’s 68 Indigenous languages, following the publication of an edition of the poem translated into 26 European languages in 2023 to mark the 125th anniversary of the poet’s death.
On December 2, Spain’s Luis González Martín and Mexico’s Hugo Setzer will discuss Parix, a Spain-based academy for publishing professionals, while Spanish bookseller Miguel Iglesias of Letras a la Taza, Spanish children’s author Gema Sirvent, and children’s publisher Arianna Squilloni of Editorial A Buen Paso will discuss the current state of children’s and YA publishing in Spain.
Also on December 2, Spanish poet and novelist Manuel Rico, director of Spain’s authors’ association (ACE); Marta Sánchez-Nieves, president of ACE Traductores, Spain’s representative body for translators; and Spanish translator Elia Maqueda will discuss authors’ rights in the era of digitization and artificial intelligence.
And Forum Edita, an annual event for the discussion of the challenges facing the publishing industry, takes place on December 3, organized by Catalonia’s publishing association, the Gremi d’Editors de Catalunya.
More program details will be confirmed in the coming days. Consult the FIL website for any last-minute changes and for final times and locations.
