Arancha González Laya in conversation with Inmaculada Ballesteros
Soft Power
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Biblioteca Municipal de Segovia Casa de la Lectura
For centuries, traditional diplomacy has designed international relations by seeking consensus or defusing conflicts. However, in such turbulent times, new ways emerge, such as soft policy (soft power), which chooses culture as an instrument to influence with solid arguments that generate empathy between people and their societies. This will be the subject of a dialogue between Arancha González Laya and Inmaculada Ballesteros.
González Laya is Dean of the Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA) at Sciences Po. She was Minister of Foreign Affairs of Spain (2020-2021). She was previously under-secretary-general of the United Nations (UN) and the International Trade Centre (ITC) from 2013 to 2019.
Inmaculada Ballesteros is an expert in cultural policy, institutional relations and digital transition. She advises national and international organisations and is director of Programming at Acción Cultural Española (AC/E), a key player in Spain's cultural development and promotion around the world.
Event in Spanish
This event has taken place
With the support of Acción Cultural Española, AC/E
Carlos del Amoris arguably the most recognizable face of cultural journalism in Spain. His reports, carefully balanced between passion and the pursuit of the perfect headline, hit the mark with remarkable precision, consistently capturing the viewer's attention. A joyful rara avis, perhaps — a true dabbler in life — he will engage in conversation with Pedro Zuazua to reflect on their work, influences, and upcoming projects.
Del Amor’s reputation for journalistic excellence is backed by international recognition, including awards for his documentary Revealing Dalí. He made his literary debut in 2013 with the short story collection Life, Sometimes (La vida a veces) and this year he has published Una dama desconocida, a detective-style tale about a mysterious woman supposedly painted by Velázquez.
At the end of the event, the author will sign copies of his books
Event in Spanish
This event has taken place
Co-organised with Grupo Planeta and Fundación Torreón de Lozoya of Fundación Caja Segovia and the support of Acción Cultural Española, AC/E
Fabio Corsico, A.C. Grayling and Santiago Iñiguez with Anna Bosch
Dante and Leadership: Ethics, Power and Humanity
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IE University. Aula Magna
What can Dante teach us about leadership and the human condition in the 21st century? This conversation features British philosopher A.C. Grayling, founder of the New College of the Humanities and author of over 30 books on ethics and reason; Santiago Iñiguez, president of IE University and a leading global voice in higher education and author of Dante in the Workplace; and Fabio Corsico, an Italian essayist and executive known for his work at the intersection of power, culture, and economics.
From philosophical ethics to corporate leadership and strategic decision-making, the speakers will explore the enduring relevance of Dante’s thought in today’s world. Moderated by Anna Bosch, a leading international journalist at TVE and former correspondent in London and Washington.
At the end of the event, the author will sign copies of his books
Event in English with simultaneous interpretation into Spanish
In a Europe marked by uncertainty, populism, and a future too complex to calmly plan for, culture can give us the resilience we need. Because culture is another form of politics—it creates spaces for dialogue and helps us understand "the other." Where there is culture, there is always hope. This is how Teresa Grøtan, director of the Bergen International Literary Festival, sees it. A journalist and writer, she has published several books, the most recent being Før øya synker. She will speak with Miquel Molina, deputy editor of La Vanguardia and writer.
The event will be introduced by Nikola Pantelić and Vanessa Ileana Chioaru, Editor-in-Chief of the IE European Union Journal and the Vice President of the IE European Union Club.
Event in english with simultaneous interpretation into Spanish
This event has taken place
In collaboration with Bergen International Festival and the Royal Embassy of Norway in Spain
Javier Velaza in conversation with Jesús García Calero
Loewe Prize 2024
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Torreón de Lozoya
Javier Velaza, the winner of the 37th edition of the Loewe Poetry Prize for his work Las ignorancias (The Ignorances), explores the consciously ignorant nature of humans and attempts to construct an ethical and aesthetic commitment from there. As Jaime Siles has written, "this book overflows with classical and vital wisdom, bringing the value and meaning of the everyday into focus." He will have a conversation about his influences and career with Jesús García Calero, director of ABC Cultural.
At the end of the event, the author will sign copies of his books
Event in Spanish
This event has taken place
Co-organized with the Loewe Foundation and Fundación Torreón de Lozoya of Caja Segovia Foundation
Dolores Redondo in conversation with Laura Ventura
Unearthing secrets
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IE University. Aula Magna
Dolores Redondo is the author of the Baztán Trilogy, a true literary phenomenon. The three novels—, The Legacy of the Bones, and Offering to the Storm—have reached over three million readers, and all three were successfully adapted into films between 2017 and 2020. The trilogy was followed by All This I Will Give to You (Todo esto te daré), winner of the 2016 Planeta Prize and the award’s best-selling novel in recent years. Her most recent work is Las que no duermen NASH.
Her novels delve into a world of tradition where buried secrets emerge from the folds of evil and human contradiction. She will be in conversation with Laura Ventura, PhD in Hispanic Philology and professor of Literature at Universidad Carlos III. Ventura is also a contributor to the Argentine newspaper La Nación.
At the end of the event, the author will sign copies of her books
Women Shaping the Arts: Collecting, Patronage, and Cultural Legacy
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IE University. Sala Capitular
This conversation brings together influential women collectors and arts supporters whose engagement spans local and international cultural landscapes. From building significant collections to championing emerging artists and institutions, these women play a vital role in shaping the future of the arts. Through personal stories and shared insights, we will explore what drives their commitment, how their practices reflect identity, values, and community, and the impact of their patronage in times of change.
Princess Alia Al-Senussi, PhD, is a globally renowned member of the contemporary art world with a focus on cultural strategy and patronage systems. She is an active cultural strategist, writer, patron, public speaker and academic recognized for her deep knowledge of the global art world and its systems and members.
She has served as Art Basel's UK and MENA Representative for over a decade, and is also currently Senior Advisor, International Outreach for Art Basel. In 2019 she was appointed Senior Advisor to the Ministry of Culture, Saudi Arabia, where she focuses on developing international partnerships whilst working on a variety of projects in Saudi Arabia, for Misk Arts Institute, the Ministry of Culture and the Diriyah Biennale Foundation..
Dr Al-Senussi is currently the founding Chairperson of the K11 International Council, a member of the Tate Modern Advisory Council (London), the Board of Trustees of the ICA London, the Strategic Advisory Panel of the Delfina Foundation (London), the Board of Trustees of The Showroom (London), the Board of Trustees of FUNTASIA/Elisa Sednaoui Foundation (UK / Egypt / Italy) among others.
She will talk to Catalina Tejero, the conversation will illuminate the intersection of gender, power, and cultural influence, offering a compelling look at how women are redefining what it means to support and steward the arts today.
Catalina Tejero serves as the Dean of the IE School of Humanities at IE University, where she is also an adjunct faculty member. Her research explores the intersection of family firms and arts philanthropy. She serves on the jury for the Princess of Girona Foundation Arts Award and the IE Foundation Humanities Prizes. She is also an Honorary Member of the Fundación Amigos del Museo del Prado in Madrid and a member of the Association of Women in the Arts (AWITA).
Event in English with simultaneous translation into Spanish
Juan Gabriel Vásquez in conversation with Helena de Bertodano
Living Through Others
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Biblioteca Municipal Casa de la Lectura
For Juan Gabriel Vásquez, literature is a way of reinterpreting the past, giving meaning to events and the decisions of those who lived them. Deeply influenced by authors such as Joseph Conrad, James Joyce, and Virginia Woolf, he is drawn to the idea of becoming someone else through fiction —and through that transformation, pushing society forward. A prolific author, acclaimed by both the public and critics, presents his latest work: The Names of Feliza, inspired by the life of the colombian sculptor Feliza Bursztyn.
He will discuss his work and literary influences with Helena de Bertodano, a journalist specializing in interviews with key figures of contemporary literature, such as Umberto Eco, Isabel Allende, Kurt Vonnegut, and Mario Vargas Llosa.
At the end of the event, the author will sign copies of his books
Event in Spanish
This event has taken place
Co-organised with Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial and AECID (Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation)
The answers to many of our personal problems are not to be found in the future, but in history. Faced with the pressing and ever-shifting issues of modern times, the classics provide timeless concepts that have stood, sound and infallible, through the tests of time. In classical culture, myths also serve to explain our Western culture and its codes of behaviour: heroism, generosity, selfishness, courage, envy, and so on. The gods of Olympus and the heroes of classical antiquity are leading characters in a fascinating series of tales that never cease to amaze us. Emilio del Río reflects on modernity, myths and the relevance of the classics in our lives, in conversation with writer and journalist Carlos Aganzo.
At the end of the event, the author will sign copies of his books
Event in Spanish
This event has taken place
In collaboration with the newspaper El Norte de Castilla and organised together with Diputación de Segovia and Teatro Juan Bravo
Absence as Stimulus is a new creation by National Photography Prize winner Alberto García-Alix.Conceived as a visual lecture, the author reflects on how absence —its presence and its vital force— shapes and permeates his work, acting as both guiding thread and catalyst in his photographs. Accompanying his spoken reflections, García-Alix presents 68 images, most of them unpublished and taken over the last 15 years. He explores how absence is embedded in everything around us: in nature, architecture, objects, and even in portraiture, "because something always escapes us from the subject." In his own words: "absence is a stimulus."
The event will be introduced by Sema D’Acosta, an independent curator, art critic, educator, and researcher, considered one of Spain’s leading visual arts specialists.
Event in Spanish
This event has taken place
In collaboration with Acción Cultural Española, AC/E
Javier Cercas in conversation with Montserrat Domínguez
Literature of Engagement
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IE University. Aula Magna
In 2023, Spanish writer Javier Cercas received an unusual invitation: to accompany Pope Francis on a trip to Mongolia, with complete freedom to speak with him without restrictions. The unusual part? Cercas openly identifies as an atheist and anticlerical. Upon returning, he claimed he came back "even more atheist and more anticlerical" and went on to write El loco de Dios en el fin del mundo ('God’s Madman at the End of the World'). Just one of those Catholic Church oddities, he says..>
But Cercas is much more than his latest book. A staunch Europeanist, he has built a solid body of narrative and essayistic work, translated into more than 30 languages. His major works include El vientre de la ballena ('The Belly of the Whale'); Soldados de Salamina ('Soldiers of Salamis'); Anatomía de un instante ('Anatomy of a Moment'); El impostor ('The Impostor'); El monarca de las sombras ('The Monarch of the Shadows') and Terra Alta. At the heart of Cercas’s work lies a belief in the need for culture to move beyond ideological trenches and assert itself in the face of institutional power.
He will discuss his life and work with Montserrat Domínguez, journalist and current Director of Content at Cadena SER. Domínguez was previously deputy editor of El País and head of El País Semanal. Between 2012 and 2018, she was editor-in-chief of the digital news outlet HuffPost España.
At the end of the event, the author will sign copies of his books
Event in Spanish
This event has taken place
Co-organised with Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial
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Biblioteca Municipal de Segovia Casa de la Lectura
The history of Spain is shaped by the sites where momentous events took place. Some are all but forgotten while others proudly display their marks of history. These spaces, and the people who occupied them, form part of our vision of who we are. The transatlantic empire that was Spain, its history, its characters and its intrigues permeate the narrative works of two authors read by thousands.
After a long professional career in various multinational companies, Jorge Molist decided to return to his vocation as a writer and in 2000 published the novel Los muros de Jericó, followed by Presagio and El anillo ('The Ring'), which was published in more than 20 languages. He has just brought out his latest book El Español. The writer Luis Zueco achieved international success with his fascinating Medieval Trilogy: El castillo, La ciudad and El monasterio, three suspense novels set in the most emblematic architectural settings of the era. Following this historical vein, he published last year El mapa de un mundo nuevo ('The Map of a New World').
There will be a book signing at the end of the event
Event in Spanish
This event has taken place
Organised together with Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial
Destiny of people isn’t always marked by human relationships. Geography heavily conditions lives that would have developed differently in other circumstances. Specially, if it is the exile forced by poverty, Above all, when exile is driven by poverty, it forces people to reinvent themselves and carve out a new path. María Dueñas writes with agility about lives transformed by necessity. From her debut novel The Seamstress ('El tiempo entre costuras'), followed by Sira, to her latest work, Por si un día volvemos, her stories span cities like Tétouan, New York, Oran, and Jerez —places and geographies that play a vital role in her fiction. Since 2009, she has enjoyed a remarkable literary journey, with over three million books sold in 15 languages. She is also a professor of English literature and a researcher. She will speak with Ana Gavín, director of Editorial Relations at Grupo Planeta.
At the end of the event, the author will sign copies of her books
Event in Spanish
This event has taken place
Co-organised with Grupo Planeta, Diputación de Segovia and Teatro Juan Bravo
For decades, the relationship between Europe and the United States, founded on common principles and shared strategic objectives, has been an essential pillar of Western stability. In recent times, the rise of clashing identity politics, cultural misunderstandings and shifts in the balance of global power have challenged this historic partnership. Do Europe and the United States still share the same ideological language, or has a silent separation already occurred? David Rieff, one of the most lucid global analysts of our time, will talk with Santiago Herrero and Pablo Gil about how the evolving relationship between Europe and the United States can help liberal democracies, in the face of polarization and populism, to reconcile security, prosperity and social inclusion of their citizens.
Reiff is a political analyst, journalist and cultural critic. Member of The New York Institute for the Humanities, his articles have been published in important media such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Le Monde, The Atlantic Monthly, Foreign Affairs or El Pais. He is the founder of the American University's ‘War Crimes’ project, which aims to report truthfully on war crimes. He is the author of several essays on international conflicts. His latest book is Desire and Fate (Debate, 2025).
Career diplomat Santiago Herrero, director of Cultural and Scientific Relations at AECID, is a true cultural agitator who has explored with notable success the influence of culture in the diplomatic sphere. And he has done so in different diplomatic representations of Spain in Oslo, Islamabad, Tokyo and New York. He was director of programming at Acción Cultural Española (AC/E) and a vocal advisor in the cabinet of the Secretary of State for International Cooperation for Ibero-America.
Both will talk with Pablo Gil, head of Culture of the newspaper El Mundo. Collaborator of Radio 3 with the program Multipista and Radio 5 with the program Debut, he is the author of three books on music: 10 horas con Kiko Veneno (2024), El pop después del fin del pop and Guía de música independiente en España (1998).
The event will be introduced by Filip Matic and Gabriela Ioana Tarmure, Vice President and Head of Segovia Chapter of the IE Public Speaking Club.
At the end of the event, the authors will sign copies of their books
Event with simultaneous interpretation from English into Spanish and vice versa
This event has taken place
Co-organised with Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial and AECID (Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation)
Álvaro Colomer in conversation with Sara Barquinero
Writer's Routines
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IE University. Sala Capitular
Does a writer need routines for creation? It seems that no two formulae are the same. There are those who stray into the realm of the extravagant, others who rely on strict schedules, and even those who write their ideas on the back of laundrette tickets. Álvaro Colomer brings together his articles on how writers tackle the blank page - or screen - in Aprende a escribir. One of his main conclusions is that ‘writers of the past are in danger of extinction’.
He will discuss writers and their quirks with Sara Barquinero, who was named by Woman magazine’s breakthrough author in Spanish literature in 2021. She published Los Escorpiones, the 'Best Novel in Spanish in 2024' according to El Mundo and named 'Best Fiction Book of the Year' by the Madrid Booksellers Association.
There will be a book signing after the event.
Event in Spanish
This event has taken place
Organised together with Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial and Acción Cultural Española, AC/E
Joaquín Araújo and Miguel Delibes de Castro in conversation with Marta del Riego
Nature That Thinks
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Biblioteca Municipal de Segovia Casa de la Lectura
Contemporary men and women are the "representatives of the future," in the words of naturalist Joaquín Araújo, who has fought for over 50 years in defense of nature and a sustainable environment. Like Miguel Delibes de Castro—who is a close friend of Araujo— the two criticize the overemphasis on technology and the uncontrolled consumption of raw materials. This is a transcendental debate that both will share their views on.
The event will be moderated by Marta del Riego, journalist and writer.
Event in Spanish
This event has taken place
With the collaboration of the newspaper El Norte de Castilla and Acción Cultural Española, AC/E
Isabel Fuentes, Andrés Pérez Perruca, Gervasio Posadas and Daniel Restrepo with Juan Carlos Monroy
Cultural Managers versus Writers
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Biblioteca Municipal de Segovia Casa de la Lectura
The universe of cultural management is as exciting as it is complex and exhausting, where days need to have more than 24 hours and countless pieces have to be put together to push projects ahead. Is there life beyond culture? For some of these cultural managers, there is - but it’s a life still tied to culture, given that they have written and published novels.
From the beginning of her professional career Isabel Fuentes, she has been involved in scientific communication and cultural management. She is currently the director of CaixaForum Madrid. In 2015, she published her first novel, Un gen fuera de la ley, which was nominated for the RAE 2016 literary creation award, and in 2025, her second novel, Hemoglobina. Gervasio Posadas is a writer, trainer and cultural manager who has been the director of Ámbito Cultural at El Corte Inglés since 2018. He is the author of several novels, including El mentalista de Hitler ('The Clairvoyant: The Man Who Predicted Hitler’s Rise to Power') and El fracaso de mi éxito.
Daniel Restrepois the Social Action Director at Mapfre Foundation and is the author of numerous articles and several books on Ibero-American archives and history. Andrés Pérez Perruca is a cultural manager, musician and writer. He is in charge of Contents and Publications at Espacio Fundación Telefónica. In 2024 he published Vida de un pollo blanquecino de piel fina.
The event will be moderated by Juan Carlos Monroy, Councillor for Culture at Segovia City Council andan expert in cultural management.
There will be a book signing at the end of the event
Event in Spanish
This event has taken place
With the collaboration of the Ayuntamiento de Segovia
David Uclés in conversation with Montserrat Domínguez
A New Magical Realism
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IE University. Aula Magna
Epic tales of the everyday, told from a deeply personal universe that transcends reality. Human relationships pushed to the very edge of language. A sense of time that both anchors and disorients. In his writing, David Uclés deconstructs truth and perception, drawing from the roots of magical realism while forging a powerful voice of his own. His literary path treads in the footsteps of Gabriel García Márquez, Günter Grass, and Jaroslav Hašek, offering new perspectives on the Spanish Civil War —beyond simplistic notions of heroes and villains— and exploring the emotional and existential bond between two men.
Uclés will discuss his work with Montserrat Domínguez, a highly respected journalist who has served as Head of Content at Cadena SER, Deputy Editor of El País, Editor-in-Chief of El País Semanal, and Director of the Spanish edition of HuffPost.
At the end of the event, the author will sign copies of his books
Event in Spanish
This event has taken place
Co-organized with Editorial Siruela and with the collaboration of Acción Cultural Española, AC/E
Andrea Marcolongo in conversation with Irene Hernández Velasco
The Europe that remains
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IE University. Sala Capitular
The Paris-based Italian writer Andrea Marcolongo is one of the leading figures in European thought today. A profound connoisseur of ancient Greece and Rome, her works have been characterised by the recovery of classical teachings and knowledge that, even today, can illuminate our present. As a staunch advocate of drawing threads between that period and the present day, there is no one better than her to reflect on Europe today and how it is not only intimately related to these two classical civilisations, but also how it should not forget to return to them to find the answers to its present. Because, as Marcolongo herself states, "everything that is happening now in Europe has already happened".
She will be in conversation with journalist Irene Hernández Velasco. She worked for El Mundo as a correspondent in New York, Rome, London and Paris until 2023, when she joined El Confidencial, where she is head of Culture.
At the end of the event, the author will sign copies of her books
Event in Spanish
This event has taken place
Co-organised with Penguin Random House Grupo Editorial and in collaboration with El Confidencial
Film screening: 'Ainda estou aqui' / 'I’m Still Here'
Followed by a talk between Patrick de Oliveira, Marcelo Rubens Paiva and Sophia Sampaio
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Cinemateca Antigua Cárcel de Segovia
Rubens Paiva, a Brazilian congressman and staunch opponent of the dictatorship in his country, was arrested and disappeared in 1971. Only 40 years later, thanks to the efforts of his wife, Eunice, was it confirmed that he had been tortured and killed by the military.
Forty-four years after those tragic events, Paiva's son, writer Marcelo Rubens Paiva, wrote Ainda estou aqui ('I'm Still Here'), a memoir of his childhood during those years. The book was made into a film by director Walter Salles, and won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 2025. Marcelo Rubens Paiva recounts the life of his father and the turbulent and dramatic 1970s in Brazil as a way of trying to ensure that nothing like it ever happens again.
Film screening: Ainda estou aqui / I'm Still Here 16:30 -18:45 Running time: 123 minutes. Directed by Walter Salles
Afterwards the screening, Marcelo Rubens Paiva will talk about his direct experience in the process of creating his book and its adaptation to the big screen with Sophia Sampaio, Director of the Humanities degree at IE University, and Brazilian historian Patrick de Oliveira, PhD from Princeton.
