VII Hispano-American Writers Festival Announces Programme
The VII Hispano-American Writers Festival will take place in Los Llanos de Aridane from 22nd to 27th September. Following the previous focus on Mexico, Central America, and Venezuela, this year’s festival will celebrate Spanish authors. The organisation reports that up to 50 writers will participate, including Spanish and Hispanic American authors, with 20 being Canarian. Notable participants include novelist Jesús Ferrero, who will open the festival, poet Olvido García Valdés, winner of the Reina Sofía Prize for Ibero-American poetry, and Juan Bonilla, recipient of the Biennial Vargas Llosa Prize for fiction, among others.
A Rich Literary Programme
As in previous years, the VII FHE will feature over 40 literary events, including author signings. The festival will commence on Monday, 22nd, by paying tribute to Nobel Laureate Mario Vargas Llosa, who passed away this year and participated in the second edition of the festival. There will also be a conversation between novelist Jesús Ferrero and Mexican writer Mónica Lavín.
On Tuesday, 23rd, the main events will focus on Spanish cultural journalism, the literary beginnings of the authors, and the stories we tell—how and why we tell them. A new feature this year will be short introductory talks lasting ten minutes prior to these discussions. Jesús Ruiz Mantilla, a journalist at El País, will lead the talk on cultural journalism, while the panel will include Miguel Ángel Santamarina from Zenda magazine, Lourdes Ventura from El Cultural, and Eduardo García Rojas from Diario de Avisos.
The session on literary beginnings will be introduced by Bruno Mesa, with participation from Irene Reyes Noguero, Mexican novelist David Toscana, who has won the Biennial Vargas Llosa Prize, and Emilio González Déniz, a storyteller and dean of Canarian press, known for his contributions to Canarias7. The final discussion on the stories we tell will feature Andrés Ibáñez, a critic for ABC and renowned novelist, alongside Irene Gracia, Jesús Ferrero, and Mexican writer Rubén Gallo from Princeton University.
Focus on Literary Critique
The main events on Wednesday, 24th, will centre around Spanish literary critique, with a talk from Lourdes Ventura, novelist and critic at El Cultural. The panel will also include Mercedes Monmany, a critic for ABC, Andrés Ibáñez, and Jonathan Allen, a former critic for the newspaper La Provincia in Las Palmas. The afternoon will continue with a conversation about theatre led by Carmen Márquez Montes from ULPG, featuring La Palma playwright Antonio Tabares, Canarian scenic producer Juan José Afonso, and Gran Canaria actress and playwright Irma Correa. The day will conclude with a poetry recital titled “The Heritage of the West,” featuring poets Jaime Siles, Olvido García Valdés, Pedro Flores, Elsa López, and Juan Bonilla.
On Thursday morning, poet Olvido García Valdés will engage in conversation with poet Tina Suárez. In the afternoon, novelist Sergio del Molino will be interviewed by Anelio Rodríguez Concepción about his novel Los alemanes (winner of the Alfaguara Prize). The afternoon will include a traditional event where various writers visiting the Astrophysical Observatory of El Roque de Los Muchachos will share their experiences. This will feature poet Acerina Cruz, novelist Javier Hernández Velázquez, novelists Irene Gracia, and Miguel Ángel Hernández, along with Dr Juan Carlos Pérez Arencibia, a physics PhD and former Administrator of the Observatory. The day will close with a discussion on publishing led by novelist and editor Phil Camino (La Huerta Grande), with contributions from editors Elsa López (Ediciones La Palma), Valerie Miles (Granta en Español), and Joan Tarrida (Galaxia Gutenberg).
Canarian Writers and Cultural Institutions
On Friday, 26th, the afternoon will begin with a discussion on Canarian writers within the broader context of contemporary Spanish literature, featuring a brief presentation from Canarian poet Federico J. Silva and participation from Iván Cabrera Cartaya, Alicia Llarena, Lana Corujo, and Javier Hernández Velázquez. Following this will be a panel on major Spanish cultural institutions, including Casa de América, Instituto Cervantes, AECID, ASALE, and the Museo Nacional del Prado. J.J. Armas Marcelo will deliver a short talk, followed by discussions including Carmen Posadas, Moisés Morera, José María Conget, Valerie Miles, and Francisco Javier Pérez. The day will conclude with a tribute to Mexican writer Hernán Lara Zavala, a friend of the festival since its inception, who passed away this year.
On Saturday, 27th, the morning will begin with an event on witches in the literature of Hispanic America during the 20th and 21st centuries, led by Italian researcher Margherita Cannavaccioulo, alongside novelists David Toscana, Mónica Lavín, and J.J. Armas Marcelo. This will be followed by the Grand Recital “Elsa López” featuring Iván Cabrera Cartaya, Acerina Cruz, Alicia Llarena, Aurelio Major, Federico J. Silva, Tina Suárez Rojas, and Alba Tavío.
In the afternoon, five Canarian poets will discuss “some considerations on current Spanish poetry” following a brief presentation by Iván Cabrera Cartaya. Participating poets will include Iván Cabrera Cartaya, Pedro Flores, Bruno Mesa, Federico J. Silva, and Tina Suárez Rojas. The afternoon will also include a session on the craft of storytelling, led by Murcian writer Miguel Ángel Hernández, with participation from J.J. Armas Marcelo, José María Conget, and Irene Gracia. The festival will conclude with a dialogue hosted by Mercedes Monmany with writers Juan Bonilla and Sergio del Molino.
Youth Programme
Staying true to its tradition, the youth programme for students from La Palma will take place in the mornings at the Plaza de España and within local secondary schools. Activities will be free to enter until capacity is reached, allowing anyone to attend on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.
The same “actors” will feature in the afternoon sessions, focusing on topics such as “The Adventure of Writing,” “Literature and the Writer’s Challenge in the World,” “The Poetry of Olvido García Valdés,” “Literary Research,” “History of World War II,” “Crime and Detective Novels in the Canary Islands,” and the “Tribute to Luis Alemany, Yolanda Arencibia, and Andrés Sánchez Robayna,” three notable figures in Canarian literature who passed away this year.
Children’s and Adult Workshops
For younger attendees, Paula Acuña will offer workshops titled “Stories to Feel” for primary school students aged 7 to 9 on Tuesday morning at the third floor of the Casa de la Cultura in Los Llanos de Aridane. Meanwhile, writer Santiago Gil will also host a narrative writing workshop for journalists, prospective journalism students, and anyone interested in writing, titled “The Reasons for Writing,” within the auditorium of the Casa de la Cultura.
Radio Festival
As every year, Amado González will conduct the RNE Canarias Mediodía programme from Los Llanos de Aridane, featuring writers Andrés Ibáñez, Irene Reyes Noguerol, Jaime Siles, Alba Tavío, Jesús Ferrero, and Lourdes Ventura.
Additionally, Eduardo Cabrera will interview two authors each morning throughout the festival week on Cadena Ser Radio La Palma. Guests on the programme Hoy por hoy La Palma will include the festival director Nicolás Melini, Rubén Gallo, Mariana Sipos, Phil Camino, Irene Gracia, Iván Cabrera Cartaya, Emilio González Déniz, Juan Bonilla, and Miguel Ángel Hernández.
Book Signings
Book signings by participating authors will take place, as usual, next to the bookshop space located in the Plaza de España, on the mornings of Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. Details on timings and authors can be found on the FHE website.
Finally, it is essential to highlight that the VII Hispano-American Writers Festival 2025 is organised by the non-profit association Orden Galdosiana of La Palma, and is supported institutionally by the cultural department of the Los Llanos de Aridane City Council, the Cultural Council of the Cabildo Insular de La Palma, the Government of the Canary Islands, AECID, and the Instituto Cervantes. Other supporting institutions include the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, ASALE (Association of Academies of the Spanish Language), Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes, Fundación Ortega y Gasset, and Casa de América.
The programme for the VII Hispano-American Writers Festival can be viewed on the festival’s website, www.hispanoamericanodeescritores.com.
