Hay Festival Arequipa 2021 – History

La plata, la espada y la piedra is a book that invites us to discover and understand the intricate layers of Latin American history, weaving together the biographies of three contemporary Latin Americans with a thousand years of vibrant history. At this event, the writer Marie Arana (Peru/United States) offers us a look at the lives of Leonor Gonzáles, Carlos Buergos and Xavier Albó in order to talk about the exploitation of the land, cycles of violence and the complex legacy of the Catholic Church. A conversation that will deal with the region’s many and profound wounds, and also reflect on its resilience and its potential to forge a fairer and more equitable future. In conversation with Natalia Sobrevilla.

Simultaneous interpretation from English to Spanish available

Digitalising 184 years of journalism has been a titanic task. This has involved processing thousands of articles, which were once news and now form a part of a legacy that is changing over time, always revealing something new. The El Comercio historical archive has made a technological leap through digitalisation, starting with the first printed issue of 4 May 1839. Juan Aurelio Arévalo Miró Quesada, the paper’s News Editor, talks about this project and invites festival-goers to browse this archive, accessible during the period of the Hay Festival. At this event he is accompanied by the Head Writer of the El Dominical supplement of El Comercio, Enrique Planas.

The main crises that the world is facing today, such as the climate emergency, the pandemic, and migration, have their roots in a system of economic exploitation of the countries of the global South. Creating a fairer system of governance and international cooperation involves understanding the ways in which these dynamics of power have been created among regions, and listening to what different regions have to say about the future. With Natalia Sobrevilla Perea (Peru), specialist in the history of the creation of the Andean nations in the 19th century and current political practices; the political scientist and expert in electoral matters, Fernando Tuesta (Peru), Doctor in the Social Sciences and PUCP lecturer; and Alberto Vergara (Peru), Doctor in Politics from the University of Montreal and author of Repúblicas defraudadas (2023). In conversation with Juan Diego Quesada.

The dizzying advances in the field of Artificial Intelligence might trigger feelings of awe, but also of fear. At this event, three experts in the field of AI come together to reveal some of the myths regarding this technology, dealing with matters such as privacy and data security, the automation of work, and the impact of AI on society in general. Richard Firth-Godbehere (United Kingdom) is a writer and researcher, and one of the world’s great experts on the emotions. He is currently studying human-machine interaction and the place of human emotions in a digital context dominated by technology. Daniel Innerarity (Spain) is a Professor of Political and Social Philosophy and holds the Artificial Intelligence Chair at the European University Institute in Florence. Marta Peirano (Spain) is a writer and journalist, a specialist on the intersection between technology and power. In conversation with Sabrina Duque.​​

Simultaneous interpretation from English to Spanish available

Jugo de Caigua (or simply Jugo) is an independent platform made up of committed writers and educators, and it has put together a special event at which the members will recreate one of their editorial meetings in order to cover some of the big issues that we face today, from a critical and informed perspective. Participating are three outstanding contributors who bring a unique viewpoint to some of the most important current affairs. The writer and communicator Gustavo Rodríguez, who recently won the Alfaguara Novel Prize, will offer his view on the region’s day-to-day life, just as he does in his weekly column. Natalia Sobrevilla, Professor of Latin American History at the University of Kent, will cover the historical background of the present social and political context. Dante Trujillo, journalist, editor and cultural manager, will add to the mix some of the latest happenings of the present cultural moment.