Hay Festival Segovia 2008

Caravaggio’s work, permeated by the tension between light and darkness, violence and transcendence, yet always of a dazzling beauty never seen before, serves as a starting point for addressing contemporary issues such as personal contradiction, love, fragility and the search for meaning. Drawing on the figure of Caravaggio, Jaime de los Santos, who has just published The Gospel According to Caravaggio, will be in conversation with Sonia Mulero, director of the Banco Sabadell Foundation. Together, they will explore a dialogue between art, thought and personal experience that invites us to reconsider the role of beauty as a space for human understanding and transformation.

At the end of the event, the author will sign copies of his books

Event in Spanish

Can a book change a writer’s life? Having sold 200,000 copies and with editions due to be published in 18 countries, Comerás flores has marked a turning point in the life of Lucía Solla Sobral. It has been an enriching process, despite the fact that the story told is devastating—a deep dive into psychological abuse, a form of violence that leaves no visible scars but erodes the protagonist’s identity. She will discuss her literary journey and her work with Pablo Gil, journalist and culture editor at the newspaper El Mundo.

At the end of the event, the author will sign copies of her book

Event in Spanish

Beauty is often considered a universal value, an objective quality that transcends time and space. However, the criteria by which we judge whether something is beautiful are determined by cultural conventions, historical circumstances, and systems of power. What one culture reveres as beautiful, another may overlook. Adam Lowe—internationally recognized for his pioneering work in the field of heritage conservation and the development of rematerialization techniques—explores beauty as a cultural condition that determines how we see, value, preserve, and transmit material culture. He will talk about this theme to Alex Ellis, UK Ambassador in Spain, and to Sol Costales, Projects Director of Factum Arte.

Event in English

What can poetry do for us? Can it change our relationship with words, with pain, with beauty, with nature, with love and with life? Thomas Schlesser, art historian and author of the publishing phenomenon Mona’s Eyes, and of the philosophical novel The Gardener’s Cat, discusses poetry as one of the oldest and most powerful ways of putting the world into words. Schlesser will discuss all of this with Elena Garrigues, a passionate expert in art and culture who works as a professor of Ethics at lE University. The event will be presented by Zélie Perpignaa, an expert in cultural mediation and attaché for Books, the Exchange of Ideas, and Media Libraries at the Institut Français in Spain.

At the end of the event, the author will sign copies of his books

Event in French with simultaneous interpretation into Spanish

Facts stripped of artifice, reduced to the very power of reality, exude a formidable power of seduction. In the naked truth there beats a singular beauty and an inexhaustible sense of wonder. Although it is practised across various disciplines and genres, it is in journalism that it has found its finest expression. Is this now a dying concept? The reporting of facts, rooted in simplicity and clarity, has become an essential demand of our times, seduced by post-truth and narcissistic narratives. Three high-flying journalists offering three distinct or alternative perspectives, yet always complementary and enriching: Manuel Jabois, Ketty Garat and David Mejía. Leading the discussion is the writer and journalist Teodoro León Gross.

At the end of the event, the authors will be signing copies of their books

Event in Spanish

Palestinian writer Adania Shibli speaks to us about war, violence, and memory against the backdrop of a disoriented Palestine. Shibli does so primarily through her writing, but also through events like this one. Following Minor Detail the story of a young woman’s rape amid the 1949 Palestinian-Israeli conflict, which was shortlisted for the 2021 International Booker Prize and was a finalist for the 2020 National Book Award for Translated Literature— comes Delusion, a heart-wrenching story in which two young people try to live a normal life when nothing is normal for any Palestinian who has been stripped of their territory, their history, and their identity.

After the event, the author will be signing copies of her books

Event in English with simultaneous interpretation into Spanish

Reading is once again breaking down walls and building bridges. Thanks to the Hay Festival and an initiative by the José Manuel Lara Foundation, the Reading Club of the Entreamigos Association in Polígono Sur, Seville (better known as the Tres Mil Viviendas neighbourhood) will be twinned with rural reading clubs in Segovia. As a result of this twinning, both clubs will read the work by writer Víctor del Árbol, Las buenas intenciones, together and will meet the author at the Hay Festival in Segovia.

The Seville-based reading club, made up of women, has been meeting every week for 10 years and sees reading as a means of personal growth and a way to escape situations of material and social vulnerability.

After the event, the author will be signing copies of his books

Event in Spanish

Two artists linked by a shared discipline: portraiture. Hernán Cortés, one of the leading figures in Spanish painting, and the photographer and multidisciplinary artist Hubertus von Hohenlohe will discuss their respective approaches to people and their identities. Through painting, Cortés creates a sober, restrained portrait with a strong psychological dimension, rooted in tradition and art history. In contrast, Von Hohenlohe, through photography, presents more vibrant images, constructed from multiple visual references that emerge spontaneously in today’s city. Two distinct languages, two ways of seeking others’ identities and beauty through unhurried contemplation, which, far from being opposed, reveal complementary approaches to contemporary representation.

Event in Spanish

In democratic societies, since ancient Greece, common sense has been based on verifiable knowledge, which gave rise to colloquia, universities, and academies, later followed by institutionalized expert committees and think tanks. Common sense was based on this recognition. And a stable democracy was based on the recognition of these entities. German producer Michael Trabitzsch will discuss with writer Lorenzo de’ Medici how this entire complex structure is being radically challenged by platforms like TikTok and social media. In short: anyone can claim whatever they want on these platforms and share it without first providing evidence, in a sort of idle chatter and denigration of other knowledge. Against the beauty of reflection stands the noise of the ephemeral.

After the event, the author will be signing copies of his books

Event in English with simultaneous interpretation into Spanish

Manuel Vilas, a key figure in contemporary Spanish literature, writes with raw emotion in his stories, for they reflect his life, its ups and downs and, above all, his struggles. With great pain and a glimmer of hope, Vilas celebrates the beauty of ‘staying alive’, come what may. In a conversation with Ana Gavín, Director of Publishing Relations at Grupo Planeta, he will take a journey through the end of a love affair and the arrival of a warm friendship, as recalled by the writer. They will focus, with particular interest, on the life, fiction and literature that intertwine in his latest and splendid novel: Islandia.

At the end of the event, the author will sign copies of his books

Event in Spanish

Beauty as a necessity. Starting from this premise, Anna Gener, an economist and a figure associated with numerous cultural projects, argues that the enjoyment of beauty is one of the fundamental pillars of our civilisation, as well as an essential element for emotional well-being. In this process, we become guardians of those works that deserve to be contemplated and enjoyed by every generation. In conversation with the writer and deputy editor of La Vanguardia, Miquel Molina, Gener will explore the beauty we can find in cities and the importance of devoting time and attention to it, whilst warning against an increasingly widespread tendency: prioritising the useful over the beautiful.

At the end of the event, the author will be signing copies of her book

Event in Spanish

The geopolitical framework developed by the West since the Second World War has fallen apart. The United States has shifted its role as an ally in conflicts that affect Europe’s future and interests, becoming a partial and unreliable partner. The Old Continent is increasingly isolated and lacks a unified vision of the direction in which it should steer its future and its alliances. Arancha González Laya, Spain’s former Minister of Foreign Affairs, will address these and other challenges in international politics.

At the end of the event, the author will sign copies of her books

Event in Spanish

British national David Lindo (known as The Urban Birder) is one of the world’s leading experts in ornithology, as well as a writer, television host, guide, and nature educator followed by tens of thousands of people. His great passion is connecting city dwellers with the birds that inhabit the countryside—a fascinating journey characterized by the beauty of the surroundings and a reconnection with nature. This cathartic experience will be discussed in a conversation with the British Ambassador to Spain, Sir Alex Ellis, an avid music lover who is convinced that experiencing nature is essential to human development. The event will be moderated by journalist Irene Hernández Velasco.

At the end of the event, the author will sign copies of his books

Event in English

Africa roars, dances, rebels, breathes life; within it beat all the Africas that make up the continent. The same is true of Mexico, Central America, Venezuela, Colombia, and Haiti. These are places rich in stories, yet too often their histories have been told through outside voices that reduce them to stereotypes and relegate them to the margins. International relations expert Sani Ladan and journalist Jacobo García challenge that narrow perspective through their latest books. El latir de un continente explores ancient civilizations, anti-colonial resistance movements, and ancestral knowledge, placing Africa at the center of its own story. Años luz, winner of the Anagrama Chronicle Prize/Fondazione Giangiacomo Feltrinelli, revisits some of the defining episodes of recent Latin American history through more than two decades of reporting across the region.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine and Donald Trump’s second term in office have brought an end to a long era in international relations. Europeans need to wake up and adapt to a different, far more adverse reality. The goal of global prosperity, central during the 30 years following the fall of the Berlin Wall, has given way to the imperative of security, understood in national terms and as an expansive concept.

Two leading analysts with first-hand experience of the international relations landscape, José María de Areilza and Fidel Sendagorta, will discuss Europe’s place in a world of rivalries for which it is unprepared, and the steps it must take to achieve strategic autonomy, strengthen alliances and defend its interests and values.

At the end of the event, the author will be signing copies of their books

Event in Spanish

If human relationships are complex in themselves, those within the family can become labyrinths that are difficult to navigate due to the enormous weight of emotions, joys, pain, beauty and confusion they contain. Manuel Jabois, a leading voice in Spanish literature and opinion journalism, explores in La vìspera the first social institution: the family. And just as from the deepest love, red lines are sometimes crossed under a naive pretence: if things happened sometimes, they were sorted out, as in all families. Jabois is able to raise doubts through the harsh reality of things.

After the event, the author will sign copies of his books

Event in Spanish

Geografía del deseo: 42 relatos eróticos began as an act of literary rebellion. Its authors, María José Solano and Jesús García Calero, decided to write 42 erotic stories during the pandemic because, while confined, touch was forbidden. The book explores desire across time and space, from antiquity to the 21st century, mapping a geography not only of bodies, but of gazes, cities, and personal mythologies. Before appearing as a book, arranged chronologically, some of the stories circulated on Zenda under pseudonyms. Thus were defined the two distinct voices: Solano’s, experiential and penetrating, embodying the lovers of his literary myths, and Calero’s, which documents and constructs narrative spaces and historical moments in which eroticism pushes to the limit what we know of the history of its protagonists.

A small town which went on to become the capital of the greatest empire of Antiquity, and the cradle of one of the most influential civilisations in history: Rome, the Eternal City. From its mythical foundation to the empire’s twilight years, through the era of the great Caesars, amidst glory, intrigue, assassinations, battles… and a few legendary scandals. The passion comes from the professor, writer and Latin scholar Emilio del Río, who speaks of classical Rome —where beauty is central rather than merely decorative— as if he were living there. His latest book, A Brief History of Ancient Rome, is a fine example of this, as will be seen in the conversation with the writer and journalist Carlos Aganzo.

At the end of the event, the author will be signing copies of his books

Event in Spanish

The priest, philosopher and theologian Pablo d’Ors believes that spirituality and meditation are spaces that fulfil us, allowing us to grasp the meaning of things, so that our gaze can escape the pressures of daily life and everything takes on a new beauty. This process is not a matter of conscious reflection; one simply has to let oneself be drawn into one’s inner self. D’Ors, founder of the Friends of the Desert meditation network, combines his pastoral work as a priest with a prolific literary output of spiritual content, with titles such as Biografía del silencio, that have had a huge international impact. In conversation with Fernando Rodríguez Lafuente.

At the end of the event, the author will sign copies of his books

Event in Spanish

The cave, where one can hear The Dark Night; the orchards and the chapel, where The Spiritual Canticle resounds; and there, high above, with Segovia as a backdrop, the tree of St. John of the Cross, Living Flame of Love… A journey of literary and spiritual fulfillment through the places of the most poetic of all saints and the holiest of all poets, on the centenary of his designation as a Doctor of the Church, led by the minstrels of the San Juan de la Cruz Academy of Fontiveros: Luis Alberto de Cuenca, Raquel Lanseros, José María Muñoz Quirós, and Carlos Aganzo.

Event in Spanish

Inma Ballesteros (Spain) and Sonia Faleiro (India) are two figures who, whilst they may go somewhat unnoticed, end up being indispensable in promoting writers within today’s global literary ecosystem. They are the driving force behind bringing diverse literary voices to festivals and book fairs in every corner of the world. Ballesteros promotes Spanish culture in her role as director of programming at Acción Cultural Española (AC/E), whilst Faleiro is the founder of the South Asia Speaks mentoring programme, which aims to amplify emerging literature in that region. The two organisers will speak with the writer and deputy editor of La Vanguardia Miquel Molina about the importance of building networks to support literary communities of emerging talent and about their work at the helm of AC/E and South Asia Speaks.

At the end of the event, the authors will be signing copies of his books

Event in Spanish

Excessive demands, guilt, and the fear of failure push us to live on the edge and turn mistakes into a form of personal failure. Mónica González Inés, who dazzled critics and readers alike with her debut novel, delves into these challenges and difficulties without mincing words: the exhaustion of life, our own fragility. And also as an invitation to nurture our connections and reclaim the use of time and silence. Precisely, El aire quema speaks to this: how long the image of a perfect life can be sustained—a woman at the peak of her career, with a solid and respectable life, who makes a mistake that will have serious consequences and, in an unexpected impulse, decides to hide it and embarks on a double life. She will discuss all of this with Laura Ventura, who holds a Ph.D. in Hispanic Philology and is a professor of literature at Carlos III University; she also writes for the Argentine newspaper La Nación.

At the end of the event, the author will sign copies of her books

Event in Spanish

An accident can split a life in two. It can also become a way of looking at the world. Marta Jiménez Serrano and Nerea Pérez de las Heras draw on extreme experiences that nearly cost them their lives to create two books that transcend autobiographical narrative and delve into universal themes. In Oxígeno, Jiménez Serrano recalls the carbon monoxide poisoning that nearly killed her while weaving in reflections on love, family, housing, and precariousness. In Fantasma, Pérez de las Heras transforms the loss of part of her leg following a boating accident into a luminous and incisive reflection on the body, identity, public healthcare, exposure, and friendship. With sensitivity, humor, and a remarkable ability to transform personal experience into literature, both authors confront death head-on to celebrate the daily wonder of still being here.

Following the event, the authors will sign copies of their books

Event in Spanish

Some lives are enough for many lives; and there are family stories whose recollection brings to light the history of their surroundings, sometimes dramatic. Margaryta Yakovenko emigrated to Spain at the age of 7 with her parents, leaving her loved ones behind in Ukraine. Today, everything has taken an unexpected turn, and that family now finds itself in an area invaded by Russia. Together with Jesús García Calero, a journalist and one of Spain’s leading experts in cultural outreach, she will explore the last century of a region that has been particularly turbulent. She will draw on her latest work, Ocupación, which serves as a reckoning with her past.

At the end of the event, the authors will sign copies of her book

Event in Spanish

The crime novel is not just a smoking gun and a corpse. Alongside the clues and suspects, there is also a raw reflection of society and its less-than-exemplary corners. That is why it is important—as three true masters of the crime novel will demonstrate at this event—to clearly define how a character in this narrative genre is created. Lorenzo Silva, Marta Robles, and Rosa Ribas have created characters rooted in everyday reality: Civil Guards, detectives, and police officers who reveal the darkest aspects of our world. The noir in all its forms. The discussion will be moderated by Ana Gavín, Director of Publishing Relations at Grupo Planeta

At the end of the event, the authors will sign copies of their books

Event in Spanish

Two giants of Spanish literature, Alejandro Gándara and Gustavo Martín Garzo, advocate distancing themselves from the present and its technological disruption characterized by immediacy, and returning to the Greek classics and the Bible to rest their gaze. Both, through their respective works—especially their most recent ones—choose to draw from ancient sources to reposition the world through a beauty that lessens fear and anxiety. In short, to strengthen human intelligence in the face of other, always artificial, intelligences.

At the end of the event, the authors will sign copies of their books

Event in Spanish

Contemporary Spanish music cannot be discussed without mentioning Ramoncín. Since bursting onto the scene in the 1970s at just 22 years old and with a burning desire to take on the world, this Madrid-born artist is responsible for some of the most important anthems in the history of Spanish rock, such as Hormigón, Mujeres y Alcohol, Como un susurro, La chica de la puerta 16, Miedo a soñar, Marica de terciopelo, Estamos desesperados and Ángel de cuero. Armed with a wealth of experience in music, life, and culture, Ramoncín sits down to talk with Santiago Herrero, director of Cultural and Scientific Relations at AECID, to explain how one can continue to be a trailblazer at the age of 70.

Event in Spanish

Cities and journeys through the traces left by the past and its memory are settings that Mathias Enard places at the heart of his works as in his latest book, Melancolía de los confines: Norte, in which he blends memoir, travelogue and literary essay. Physical landscapes, but also moral ones, run through his entire body of work, creating a kind of geographical, human and literary border. He explores other borders that have more to do with memory and with the ability to understand who we are when we cease to exist.His latest work, the first part of a quartet on the cardinal points, serves as a vehicle for discussing all this with Helena de Bertodano, a journalist specialising in interviews and profiles of celebrities for prestigious publications. The event will be presented by Zélie Perpignaa, an expert in cultural mediation and attaché for Books, the Exchange of Ideas, and Media Libraries at the Institut Français in Spain.

At the end of the event, the author will be signing copies of his books

Event in Spanish

ΚΑΛΛΟΣ: Ritual to Aphrodite and Eros is an experiential ceremony that invites the audience to an initiation into the concept of beauty. In a world of noise, we invite you to an unusual encounter with the spirit and aesthetics of the ancient Greek worldview. Through a harmonious interplay of word and art, the performance unfolds as a mystagogical ceremony: Sappho’s hymns and the Orphic hymns resonate live, accompanied by the ancient harp, while the sacred scent of incense and the immersive audiovisual narrative create an initiatory atmosphere. Philosophical discourse intertwines with ritual, transforming theory into experience.

Here, beauty is not merely analyzed; it is felt. ΚΑΛΛΟΣ offers a unique opportunity for the audience to experience the universal power of Eros and Harmony through a composition that transcends time. A ceremony that invites you to reflect on and contemplate the essence of beauty through the eyes of the soul.

The texts and presentation are by Chryssa Georganta, stage director and professor of ancient Greek theater, who possesses a wealth of knowledge about the classics of Greek theater and teaches through her Θήτα (Zíta) method. She will be accompanied by:

• Texts and presentation: Chryssa Georganta
• Hymn singing: Niki Hellinis
• Coryphaeus: Fani Skouvari
• Chorus: Niki Pappas
• Harp: Alexia Gialitakis Nieto
• Visuals/Video: Sotiris Visaltis
• Recorded music: Telemachos

Event commentary in Spanish and hymns in Greek