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.

Event HC1

Catalina Gómez Ángel

Young reporters workshop

 Institución Educativa 14 de Febrero - El Pozón
Read more
The journalist Catalina Gómez Ángel (Colombia) works in the Middle East as a correspondent, covering events in countries such as Syria, Palestine, Iraq, Egypt, Afghanistan and Iran, where she lives. Since February 2022 she has dedicated much of her time to covering the large-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. She is the co-author of the book Balas para todas: Seis mujeres journalists en Oriente Medio y el Magreb (2021). She is a correspondent for France 24 Español, Barcelona’s La Vanguardia and Radio France Internationale. This highly experienced reporter will offer a workshop for young community reporters.
This event has taken place
Catalina Gómez Ángel

Event HC2

Musical show offered by Las Estrellas del Caribe

Hay Comunitario opening event

 Institución Educativa 14 de Febrero - El Pozón
Read more
Las Estrellas del Caribe, from San Basilio de Palenque, is a traditional group created by Leonel Torres and some of his friends from the town. They are pioneers in which is now known as “terapia criolla” or “champeta roots”, and they come with a performance that combines the traditional music of Palenque with African rhythms such as soukous, highlife and mbquanga. This very special event will connect the audience with essential cultural expressions of Caribbean musical identity.
This event has taken place
Musical show offered by Las Estrellas del Caribe

Event HC3

'Letras al carbón' and other stories by Irene Vasco

Reading and conversation on some of her books

 La Canoa Literaria
Read more
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 HJ1

BBC Mundo journalism workshop

With Carlos Serrano and Ana María Roura

 Universidad de Cartagena, Claustro de San Agustín (Biblioteca)
Read more

Two journalists from one of the world’s most respected media outlets will give this journalism workshop aimed at university students. Carlos Serrano (Colombia) and Ana María Roura (Ecuador), members of the BBC Mundo team, will explain the Spanish-language work model of this British news service, which is over a hundred years old and is renowned for its news rigour and quality. Our guests will talk particularly about broadcasting content creation and managing the social media.

This event has taken place
BBC Mundo journalism workshop

Event 1

Kevin Johansen and Phil Manzanera in conversation with Andrés Mompotes

El Tiempo opening event

 Teatro Adolfo Mejía
Read more

Two musical pioneers, Phil Manzanera (Colombia / UK) and Kevin Johansen (Argentina / United States) will talk about the creative work of fusing genres and experimenting with different sounds, products of their Latin and English-speaking backgrounds, a mixture that has been crucial to their work. Johansen, whose concerts and projects have captivated listeners on both sides of the Atlantic, and Manzanera, of the legendary Roxy Music and producer of artists such as Héroes del Silencio, Fito Páez, Aterciopelados and David Gilmour, will talk together for the first time at an event moderated by Andrés Mompotes.

This event has taken place
Kevin Johansen and Phil Manzanera in conversation with Andrés Mompotes

Event HJ2

Dahlia de la Cerda en conversación con Yusly Pérez Llerena

Hideouts, and having one’s own space

 Universidad de Cartagena, Claustro de San Agustín (Biblioteca)
Read more
The author of the essay Feminismo sin cuarto propio (included in the anthology of feminist texts Tsunami 2) and of the outstanding short story collection Perras de reserva (2022), Dahlia de la Cerda (Mexico) returns with Desde los zulos (2023), a book that combines autofiction, journalism and essay to reflect on marginal feminisms, the danger of excluding practices within the social movements, and in which she proposes a more plural and diverse view of feminism. De la Cerda has a degree in Philosophy, was a fellow of the 2015 Aguascalientes Programme for the Stimulation of Artistic Creation and Development and was also a beneficiary of the FONCA Young Artists’ Programme in 2016 and 2018. She is a co-founder and co-director of the Morras Help Morras feminist collective. She will talk to Yusly Pérez Llerena.
This event has taken place
Dahlia de la Cerda en conversación con Yusly Pérez Llerena

Event HJ3

Álvaro Ortiz in conversation with Lisette Urquijo

On graphic novel

 Universidad Tecnológica de Bolívar (Sede Manga) - Auditorio Jorge Taua
Read more

Álvaro Ortiz is a comic illustrator and author, the winner of numerous prizes and the creator of several graphic novels. His latest is written for children and is entitled La pequeña genia y la partida de shatranj. His work deals with matters related to the history of art, the past, travel and remote cultures. In conversation with Lisette Urquijo.

This event has taken place
Álvaro Ortiz in conversation with Lisette Urquijo

Event HC4

Juliana Muñoz Toro

Whales at the end of the world

 Institución Educativa El Redentor Sede Las Colinas - Nelson Mandela
Read more
Juliana Muñoz Toro is a writer and journalist. Her book 24 señales para descubrir a un alien won the Tragaluz International Writing Competition and was selected by the Munich International Youth Library. In her book Mi hermana Juana y las ballenas del fin del mundo she tells the story of a journey undertaken by a sister, a brother and their mother to see the humpback whales of the Colombian Pacific. Juliana will talk about this book with the attendees.
This event has taken place
Juliana Muñoz Toro

Event 2

Jorge Franco in conversation with Juan Manuel Ruiz

 Centro de Convenciones (Auditorio Getsemaní)
Read more

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 3

Tsitsi Dangarembga and Gloria Susana Esquivel in conversation with Georgina Godwin

(In)equalities

 Teatro Adolfo Mejía
Read more

Three authors from very different countries will talk to Georgina Godwin about how their artistic experiences have been affected by their class, race and gender. This is a conversation to reflect on (in)equality and the intersectional impact on the literary. With Tsitsi Dangarembga (Zimbabwe), a high-profile African feminist, writer, filmmaker and author; and Gloria Susana Esquivel (Colombia), writer and podcaster.

Simultaneous translation from English to Spanish available

This event has taken place
Tsitsi Dangarembga and Gloria Susana Esquivel in conversation with Georgina Godwin

Event 4

Laura Ardila in conversation with Juanita León

 Centro de Formación de la Cooperación Española (patio)
Read more

Laura Ardila (Colombia) is a Caribbean journalist with two decades of experience who has spent many years researching the question of how power works in Colombia as well as the issue of the relationship between the regional clans and the Bogota elites. She will talk to Juanita León about the book La Costa Nostra, which analyses the role of the influential Char family in Colombian politics, specifically in the Caribbean region, and also matters related to censorship and free access to information.

This event has taken place
Laura Ardila in conversation with Juanita León

Event 5

Silvana Paternostro and Vanessa Rosales in conversation with Teresita Goyeneche

 Centro de Formación de la Cooperación Española (Salón del Rey)
Read more

Two authors comment on the gender perspective and sociological reflection and analysis of their writings. The event will feature Silvana Paternostro (Colombia), journalist and author of In The Land of God and Man, a report, now available in English and winner of the 1997 Pen Award, that is a controversial criticism of the patriarchal system in all its facets; and Vanessa Rosales (Colombia), writer and podcaster, who, in her new book, Mad Men, undertakes an analysis of the television series of the same name through short essays written with an autobiographical slant. They will talk to Teresita Goyeneche.

This event has taken place
Silvana Paternostro and Vanessa Rosales in conversation with Teresita Goyeneche

Event HC5

Rocio Bonilla

 Institución Educativa Puerto Rey
Read more
Esta autora e ilustradora es la creadora de más de cincuenta libros que han sido traducidos a casi 30 idiomas. Estudió Bellas Artes y Pedagogía y por muchos años se dedicó a la publicidad. Desde 2013, Rocio Bonilla escribe y dibuja para las y los más pequeños. Algunos de sus álbumes ilustrados se titulan: ¿De qué color es un beso?, La montaña de libros más alta del mundo y Abuelos, pirañas y otras historias. Es la creadora de la serie Babymoni, sobre una niña que descubre el mundo que la rodea, explorando sus emociones y su cotidianidad.
This event has taken place
Rocio Bonilla

Event HJ4

Eduardo Romero García in conversation with Esteban Vega Bedoya

 Universidad de Cartagena, Claustro de la Merced (Salón Eréndira)
Read more
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 HJ5

Brindy Cantillo y Martín Murillo en conversación con Carlos Díaz

Community culture management

 Universidad de Cartagena, Claustro de San Agustín (Biblioteca)
Read more
Two guests who manage grassroots educational processes with readers will talk about the achievements and challenges of working with books, stories and children in the Colombian Caribbean. With Brindy Cantillo, who runs La Canoa Literaria, a reading project with an ethno-educational approach in Tierra Baja (Cartagena), and Martín Murillo, the creator of La Carreta Literaria ¡Leamos!. In conversation with Carlos Díaz.
This event has taken place
Brindy Cantillo y Martín Murillo en conversación con Carlos Díaz

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)
Read more
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 HJ6

Alana S. Portero in conversation with Mar Márquez

The bad habit

 Universidad Tecnológica de Bolívar (Sede Manga) - Auditorio Jorge Taua
Read more
Recognised by the Ministry of Equality of Spain for her contribution to making visible trans women, Alana S. Portero is a historian, writer, dramatist, theatre director and LGTBIQ+ activist. Portero will talk about her first novel, La mala costumbre, which tells the moving story of the childhood and teenage years of a girl who grows up in a body that feels strange to her. Set in Madrid in the 1980s and 90s, the text deals with the uneasiness and resentment caused by a society that, unable to accept difference, distorts it. In conversation with Mar Márquez.
This event has taken place
Alana S. Portero in conversation with Mar Márquez

Event 6

Mauricio García Villegas in conversation with José Manuel Acevedo

 Centro de Convenciones (Auditorio Getsemaní)
Read more
Doctor in Politics, a lecturer at the National University of Colombia and an associate lecturer at the universities of Wisconsin and Grenoble, researcher with the organization Dejusticia and El Espectador columnist, Mauricio García Villegas is the author of El viejo malestar del Nuevo Mundo, a long essay in which, applying the perspective of the philosopher Baruch Spinoza, he examines the tension between sadness and joyfulness. Applying this idea to the political sphere, the author looks at the history of Latin America through the emotions, offering a lucid analysis of phenomena which are extreme yet also common: violence, corruption, lack of social cohesion and the difficulties with consolidating democracy. In conversation with José Manuel Acevedo.
This event has taken place
Mauricio García Villegas in conversation with José Manuel Acevedo

Event 7

David Olusoga, Laura Osorio Sunnucks and Ángela María Pérez in conversation with Javier Ortiz Cassiani

Retrieving cultural heritage

 Teatro Adolfo Mejía
Read more

Centuries of history are buried underground, and there also exist archaeological remains and objects that belong to a culture but which are on display thousands of kilometres away… our three international guests put into context why it is important to recover cultural heritage, tell its story and include it in educational plans, as well as to reflect it in museum collections. Javier Ortiz Cassiani, writer and historian, will talk to Ángela María Pérez, academic and currently deputy cultural manager of Banco de la República in Colombia, which includes 29 cultural centers in Colombia with libraries and museums; David Olusoga (Nigeria/UK), a historian, presenter and filmmaker, lecturer in Manchester and the author of several books; and Laura Osorio Sunnucks (Mexico/UK), former Head of the Santo Domingo Centre for Excellence for Latin American Research at the British Museum and now Head of Research and Collections at the Linden Museum in Germany.

Simultaneous translation from English to Spanish available




This event has taken place
David Olusoga, Laura Osorio Sunnucks and Ángela María Pérez in conversation with Javier Ortiz Cassiani

Event 8

Amalia Andrade in conversation with Teresita Goyeneche

 Centro de Formación de la Cooperación Española (patio)
Read more

The author of Uno siempre cambia al amor de su vida (Por otro amor o por otra vida) and Cosas que piensas cuando te muerdes las uñas, has sold millions of copies of her books and is a social media phenomenon. In her latest book, No sé cómo mostrar dónde me duele, Amalia Andrade (Colombia) returns to the theme of mental health and the body-mind relationship, writing about poetry, music and cultivating good practices to help us educate our sentiments and balance the internal world of the emotions. In conversation with Teresita Goyeneche.

This event has taken place
Amalia Andrade in conversation with Teresita Goyeneche

Explore All Genres    

RCN
Bancolombia
Promigas
Sura
Fontur Colombia
Colombia el Pais de la Belleza