Hay Festival Cartagena 2023

Welcome to the Hay Festival Cartagena de Indias 2023 programme, to be held from 26 to 29 January. In this page you can find the events in the general programme as well as Hay Joven activities tor university audiences, Hay Comunitario sessions which will take place in different areas of Cartagena, Reading Clubs and Talento Editorial.

The tickets of the general programme and reading clubs are on sale for in person events. If you wish to register to see the live streaming of events, please select the option "Register to watch online" when this option is available. Hay Joven, Hay Comunitario and Talento Editorial are 100% in person and free of charge.

If you have any issues regarding the payment of your tickets, please contact us at tickets@hayfestival.org or at +57 317 516 55 13.

If you are a students a wish to request free tickets, you can write to us at estudiantes@hayfestival.com.

If you have any general questions, you can find us at contacto@hayfestival.org.

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Event HC3

'Letras al carbón' and other stories by Irene Vasco

Reading and conversation on some of her books

 La Canoa Literaria
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Irene Vasco has dedicated her life to books and reading. As well as writing, she has also worked in bookselling and as a reading promoter. She is the creator of over 30 books of children’s literature, including Conjuros y sortilegios, Expedición Macondo, Letras al carbón and La independencia de Colombia: así fue.
This event has taken place
'Letras al carbón' and other stories by Irene Vasco

Event 2

Jorge Franco in conversation with Juan Manuel Ruiz

 Centro de Convenciones (Auditorio Getsemaní)
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Jorge Franco, author of the contemporary classic of Colombian literature Rosario Tijeras, and winner of the reputed Alfaguara Novel Prize for El mundo de afuera, presents his most recent work, El vacío en el que flotas. The explosion of a bomb sparks off this story in which a child disappears, and a plot unfolds in three apparently independent narratives, threads which eventually interconnect in an unexpected and dramatic way. He will talk to Juan Manuel Ruiz.

This event has taken place
Jorge Franco in conversation with Juan Manuel Ruiz

Event HJ4

Eduardo Romero García in conversation with Esteban Vega Bedoya

 Universidad de Cartagena, Claustro de la Merced (Salón Eréndira)
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In his work, Eduardo Romero García analyses and criticises matters of the foremost importance, such as colonialism, migratory policies and the leftovers of capitalism. In his most recent book, ¿Cómo va a ser la montaña un dios? (2023), he traces the route connecting the Colombian Caribbean coast with the Spanish region of Asturias, in a surprising way, one that is almost invisible to us under normal circumstances: coal mining. Romero García tells a powerful story that links the lives of an old man in Asturias, once a miner, with those of some Afro-Colombian women who reach Europe from the Cauca Valley, and a group of Colombian migrants who flee their country and when they reach their destination they find ships that have brought coal from El Cerrejón, in La Guajira, to a Spanish port. In conversation with Esteban Vega Bedoya.
This event has taken place
Eduardo Romero García in conversation with Esteban Vega Bedoya

Event TE1

Felipe González, Marisol Schulz and Silvia Sesé in conversation with Guido Tamayo

Women in Latin American literature

 Centro de Formación de la Cooperación Española (Salón Mutis)
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Important figures from the world of Spanish-language bookselling, Felipe González (Laguna books), Marisol Schulz (Director of the Guadalajara International Book Fair) and Silvia Sesé (Anagrama) will help us to understand an undeniable reality: the growing presence and influence of young Latin American women writers. In conversation with Guido Tamayo.
This event has taken place
Felipe González, Marisol Schulz and Silvia Sesé in conversation with Guido Tamayo

Event TE2

Dejanira Álvarez Cárdenas and Andrea Montejo in conversation with Nubia Macías

Reading in Spanish: the Feria Internacional del Libro de Nueva York

 Centro de Formación de la Cooperación Española (Salón Mutis)
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The Feria Internacional del Libro de Nueva York is becoming a flagship event for the Latino book in the United States. We will talk about its present and its future. Featuring Dejanira Álvarez Cárdenas, Director of the Feria Internacional del Libro de Nueva York; and Andrea Montejo, Director of Indent Literary Agency. Moderated by Nubia Macías, General Manager of NM Consultora, Mexico City (Mexico).

This event has taken place
Dejanira Álvarez Cárdenas and Andrea Montejo in conversation with Nubia Macías

Event 11B

Héctor Abad Faciolince, Volodymyr Yermolenko and José Manuel Cajigas in conversation with Catalina Gómez Ángel

Celebrating Victoria Amelina: Dom's Dream Kingdom

 Teatro Adolfo Mejía
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On June 27th, a Russian missile struck the Ria pizzeria in the Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk, leading to the death of the war crimes researcher and writer Victoria Amelina (Ukraine). Her tragic demise coincided with the release of the Spanish version of her book Dom's Dream Kingdom ('Un hogar para Dom'), published by Avizor with a prologue by Hector Abad Faciolince —sadly, a moment she never got to witness. This novel, depicting the lives of three generations of a family led by an old Soviet pilot and war veteran settled in Lviv, a city that was once one of Europe's major cultural centers, had established Amelina as one of the finest Ukrainian writers of the new generation. Héctor Abad Faciolince, Volodymyr Yermolenko, Avizor's editor José Manuel Cajigas, and journalist Catalina Gómez Ángel, a friend of the author, will discuss this book.

Volodymyr Yermolenko will participate in this event digitally.

Simultaneous translation from English to Spanish will be provided

This event has taken place
Héctor Abad Faciolince, Volodymyr Yermolenko and José Manuel Cajigas in conversation with Catalina Gómez Ángel

Event 13

Javier Moro in conversation with Moisés Naím

 Centro de Convenciones (Auditorio Getsemaní)
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This celebrated Spanish author will talk to Moisés Naím about his most recent books. Javier Moro, one of the bestselling Spanish-language writers, is also a journalist and has worked as a screenwriter and film producer in Hollywood. His books include Senderos de libertad (1992), El pie de Jaipur (1995), Las montañas de Buda (1997), Five Past Midnight In Bhopal (2001, a work written together with Dominique Lapierre), Passion India, The Red Sari, El imperio eres tú (2011 Planeta Prize) and, more recently Nos quieren muertos, which the author will talk about at this event. This book, which is both an exciting read and a rigorous study, is about a key figure for understanding contemporary Venezuela: Leopoldo López. Upon being jailed in 2014, after leading massive protests against the Maduro government, López became a symbol of the struggle for democracy in the country.

This event has taken place
Javier Moro in conversation with Moisés Naím

Event 14

In Koli Jean Bofane and Adania Shibli in conversation with Jon Lee Anderson

South to South conversations: literature and freedom of expression

 Centro de Convenciones (Salón Barahona)
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The space available for writing should always be a safe place for the artist, but are there external limitations on the imaginations of writers? Jon Lee Anderson will talk to the Congolese writer In Koli Jean Bofane, author of Mathématiques Congolaises, and the Palestinian writer Adania Shibli, author of Minor Detail, about their experiences as creators, their perspective with regard to freedom of expression, and how this has affected their work.

Simultaneous translation from English to Spanish available

This event has taken place
In Koli Jean Bofane and Adania Shibli in conversation with Jon Lee Anderson

Event 17

Jorge Comensal and Eduardo Romero García in conversation with Daniella Sánchez Russo

 Centro de Formación de la Cooperación Española (Salón del Rey)
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Jorge Comensal is the author of Este vacío que hierve (2023), a novel that explores matters such as the malleable nature of space-time, the environmental crisis, family secrets, addiction and fanaticism. In ¿Cómo va a ser la montaña un dios? (2023), Eduardo Romero García tells a powerful story that links the lives of an old man in Asturias, once a miner, with those of some Afro-Colombian women who reach Europe, and a group of Colombian migrants who flee their country and when they reach their destination they find ships that have brought coal from La Guajira, to a Spanish port. In conversation with Daniella Sánchez Russo.
This event has taken place
Jorge Comensal and Eduardo Romero García in conversation with Daniella Sánchez Russo

Event HJ8

Ana Paula Maia y Fernanda Trías en conversación con Willian Malkún Castillejo

Shared truths

 Universidad de Cartagena, Claustro de San Agustín (Aula Máxima de Derecho)
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The Hay Festival and the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) present the anthology Verdades compartidas, a project that reimagines Colombia after the peace process, written by ten Latin American authors. The project presents an inclusive and holistic vision of the peace process, and portrays not only the diversity of the country, but also sets the nation within the Latin American context. Three contributors to the anthology, Ana Paula Maia (Brazil) and Fernanda Trías (Uruguay) will talk about their texts, perspectives and feelings. In conversation with the Rector of Cartagena University, Willian Malkún Castillejo.

Simultaneous translation from Portuguese to Spanish available

This event has taken place
Ana Paula Maia y Fernanda Trías en conversación con Willian Malkún Castillejo

Event CL1

Book club: Jorge Franco in conversation with Ana María Aponte

 Casa Hay (Centro de Convenciones)
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Our book clubs are intimate events with guests selected from the Hay Festival programme. These small-scale events will be a chance to talk in depth about the most recent work published by those invited. At this event, Jorge Franco (Colombia) will talk to Ana María Aponte about his book El vacío en el que flotas. The explosion of a bomb sparks off this story in which a child disappears, and a plot unfolds in three apparently independent narratives, threads which eventually interconnect in an unexpected and dramatic way.

The book should be read before attending.
This event has taken place
Book club: Jorge Franco in conversation with Ana María Aponte

Event TE3

Margarita Valencia and Paula Andrea Marín in conversation with Paco Goyanes

Presentation of the book 'Oficio libros: historias de libreras and libreros de Colombia'

 Centro de Formación de la Cooperación Española (Salón Mutis)
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Published this year by the Ariel publishing house, Oficio libros is a collection of testimony by 15 Colombian booksellers who love their work and are convinced of their profession’s social and cultural importance. Margarita Valencia and Paula Andrea Marín in conversation with Paco Goyanes.
This event has taken place
Margarita Valencia and Paula Andrea Marín in conversation with Paco Goyanes

Event 18

Juan Gabriel Vásquez in conversation with Ana Bejarano

 Centro de Convenciones (Auditorio Getsemaní)
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The award-winning Colombian writer of both fiction and non-fiction, Juan Gabriel Vásquez, whose bibliography contains 17 books including novels, short stories, essays and poetry published in 30 languages, is one of the country’s most prolific and renowned writers. In his most recent book, La traducción del mundo, Vásquez presents the talks he gave at Oxford University in 2022, when he was invited to give the prestigious Weidenfeld Lectures, a series that has previously featured speakers such as Mario Vargas Llosa, Umberto Eco and Javier Cercas. With his habitual erudition, Vásquez gives his vision of literature, particularly fiction, as the highest tool we have for investigating the vastness and essence of human experience. In conversation with Ana Bejarano.

This event has taken place
Juan Gabriel Vásquez in conversation with Ana Bejarano

Event 21

Margarita Rosa de Francisco in conversation with Vanessa Rosales

 Centro de Formación de la Cooperación Española (patio)
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Over the course of four decades, and with 15 years as a columnist, Margarita Rosa de Francisco has become one of the most entertaining and influential personalities in the Colombian media. Her roles in soap operas such as Gallito Ramírez (1986-87) and Café con aroma de mujer (1994-95) made her a star of national television. She has acted in around 20 film and television productions, has contributed to media outlets such as El Tiempo, SoHo, Ellas and El Espectador, and has won many prizes, including the Simón Bolívar, TV y Novelas, Macondo and the India Catalina awards in Colombia, as well as the recent Horizon Award at the 2023 Venice Film Festival for Best Actress in the film El Paraiso, directed by the Italian Enrico María Artale. She will talk to Vanessa Rosales about her second book, Margarita va sola (2023), a collection of memories and reflections on matters that range from revealing one’s body and erotic initiation, to her thoughts about God and identity.

This event has taken place
Margarita Rosa de Francisco in conversation with Vanessa Rosales

Event HJ10

Carlos Manuel Álvarez, Nona Fernández, Natalia García Freire in conversation Pablo Abitbol

Shared truths

 Universidad Tecnológica de Bolívar (Sede Manga) - Auditorio Jorge Taua
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The Hay Festival and the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) present the anthology Verdades compartidas, a project that reimagines Colombia after the peace process, written by ten Latin American authors. The project presents an inclusive and holistic vision of the peace process, and portrays not only the diversity of the country, but also sets the nation within the Latin American context. Three contributors to the anthology, Carlos Manuel Álvarez (Cuba), Nona Fernández (Chile) y Natalia García Freire (Ecuador) will talk about their texts, perspectives and feelings. In conversation with Pablo Abitbol.
This event has taken place
Carlos Manuel Álvarez, Nona Fernández, Natalia García Freire in conversation Pablo Abitbol

Event CL2

Book club: Julia Navarro in conversation with Margarita Valencia

 Casa Hay (Centro de Convenciones)
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Our book clubs are intimate events with guests selected from the Hay Festival programme. These small-scale events will be a chance to talk in depth about the most recent work published by those invited. At this event, Julia Navarro (Spain) will talk to Margarita Valencia about her book Una historia compartida (2023). The work aims to round out a universal history that, until now, has been written by and about men, shedding light on those women whose achievements and names have hardly appeared in books; from philosophers to scientists, from ancient times to our own days.

The book should be read before attending.
This event has taken place
Book club: Julia Navarro in conversation with Margarita Valencia

Event 24

Jago Cooper in conversation with Laura Osorio Sunnucks

Visionary art

 Centro de Convenciones (Salón Barahona)
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Museum director and curator, documentary presenter and Professor of Art and Archaeology, Jago Cooper (UK) will talk about his new and radical vision of art. Drawing on his adventures in Latin America as well as his long standing work with human creativity - from Indigenous Caribbean cave painting to contemporary activist installations tackling issues such as the climate crisis - he will discuss the meaning of art and why the museums that care for it are magical. In conversation with Laura Osorio Sunnucks.

Simultaneous translation from English to Spanish available

This event has taken place
Jago Cooper in conversation with Laura Osorio Sunnucks

Event 25

Hisham Matar in conversation with Philippe Sands and Juan Gabriel Vásquez

 Teatro Adolfo Mejía
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The acclaimed author Hisham Matar (Libya/United States), winner of the Pulitzer Prize for The Return, presents his new book, My Friends, a highly moving novel about three friends who experience political exile and about the emotional homeland that close friendships can create, in conversation with Juan Gabriel Vásquez and Philippe Sands.

Simultaneous translation from English to Spanish available

This event has taken place
Hisham Matar in conversation with Philippe Sands and Juan Gabriel Vásquez

Event 27

Gabi Martínez in conversation with David Lara Ramos

 Centro de Formación de la Cooperación Española (Salón del Rey)
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The writer and environmental activist Gabi Martínez (Spain) is the author of sixteen books, including novels and non-fiction, translated into over ten languages. He is also the Director of the Liternatura Festival, won the 2022 Serondaya Prize and is the co-director of the Animales Invisibles project. He will talk to us about Delta, a text written over the course of a year spent in the last house before the sea at the delta of the Ebro river, in which he bears witness to the growing tensions between humans and nature. In conversation with David Lara Ramos.

This event has taken place
Gabi Martínez in conversation with David Lara Ramos

Event HJ12

Gabriela Cabezón Cámara in conversation with Deiver Juez Correa

 Universidad de Cartagena, Claustro de San Agustín (Biblioteca)
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Gabriela Cabezón Cámara (Argentina), the acclaimed author of The Adventures of China Iron (shortlisted for prestigious awards such as the International Booker and the Médicis) returns with the powerful Las niñas del naranjel (2023), about the historical figure Catalina de Erauso, the Nun Alférez, who was born in Spain in the late 16th century and who crossed America dressed as a man. The novel tells of the destruction of a world with the sword and the cross, of the conquest of a “new world” and recreates a character who defies all the conventions of her times, and even of our own. She will talk to Deiver Juez Correa.
This event has taken place
Gabriela Cabezón Cámara in conversation with Deiver Juez Correa

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