Online Events

Pilar Quintana (Colombia) is the author of five novels and a book of short stories, works that have been translated into over 15 languages. She has won the Biblioteca de Narrativa Colombia Award and the PEN Translates Award for The Bitch, and won the 2021 Alfaguara Novel Prize for Los abismos, which tells the story of Claudia, a girl who lives with her parents in an apartment full of plants in Cali, absorbing the fears and troubles of the adults who raise her. In conversation with Elvira Liceaga.

The writer, historian and activist Rebecca Solnit is an important voice when it comes to matters such as feminism, environmental and urban history, popular power, social change and insurrection, walking and wandering, hope and catastrophe. She is the author of over 25 books, including the anthology she co-edited in 2023, Not Too Late: Changing the Climate Story from Despair to Possibility, as well as Orwell’s Roses, Hope in the Dark, Men Explain Things to Me, A Paradise Built in Hell and A Field Guide to Getting Lost. She writes regularly for The Guardian and is on the board of the climate group Oil Change International. On this occasion she will talk about her work with the communicator Gabriela Warkentin.

Simultaneous interpretation from English to Spanish available

Kailash Satyarthi (India) was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2014 for his work against child exploitation. He has rescued tens of thousands of children from slavery. An example of effective activism that has changed lives. In conversation with Mario Arriagada.

Simultaneous interpretation from English to Spanish available

Adrenalina is a documentary about the Coahuila Youth Integration Centre. Teenagers and children who have stayed there offer their testimony and act in dramatic works through which they represent the realities that led them to be at the centre. The result is a view of both individual responsibility and also of systemic catastrophe, with the children using their own words and tools to express a fragile setting rarely seen in art, one that allows us to see the deep wounds that violence has caused in our country.

Duration of the documentary: 29 minutes

Colin Greenwood, the bass player with Radiohead, one of the world’s most popular rock bands, visits the Hay Festival in Queretaro to present How to Disappear, a kind of visual diary about Radiohead, created based on 20 years of photos in the band’s dressing rooms and rehearsal spaces and at concerts. The images are accompanied by the musician’s own texts, which offer a viewpoint onto the creation and execution of the music of Radiohead, in a kind of intimate portrait of one of the most influential bands in history. He will talk to a legend in his own right, the musician and bassist of bands such as Fobia and Moderatto, el Cha.

Simultaneous interpretation from English to Spanish available

The performance created and led by the LASTESIS collective of the dance and song Un violador en tu camino in Santiago de Chile can be described as one of the most iconic moments in recent feminist activism. Performed all over the world, its strong message regarding the intrinsic violence of the patriarchal system points directly to matters that require urgent change in our societies, at the legal, social and cultural levels, in order to finally bring equality. Now, the collective presents Quemar el miedo (2021), a testimony of their struggle against sexist violence and oppression. In conversation with the writer and columnist Alma Delia Murillo.

Discover de story of the feminist collective that changed history with our BONUS TRACK on LASTESIS

Since 2006 when he appeared on the Mexican literary scene with El buscador de cabezas, Antonio Ortuño has established himself as one of the most talented and original contemporary writers. He was on the first list of Granta magazine’s 25 best Spanish-language writers under 35. His novel Recursos humanos was shortlisted for the Herralde Novel Prize and he also won the Ribera del Duero International Prize for Short Fiction for his book of short stories La vaga ambición. His work has been translated into over ten languages and he has contributed to media outlets such as El País, Clarín, Proceso, Etiqueta Negra and Letras Libres. He is a founder member of the punk band, Los Magones. His most recent book is the collection of short stories Esbirros (2021). In conversation with Rafael Volta.

The acclaimed Spanish writer will talk to Gabriela Warkentin about his most recent books. Javier Moro, one of the most read contemporary Spanish-language writers, is also a journalist and has worked as a scriptwriter and film producer in Hollywood. His books include Senderos de libertad (1992), El pie de Jaipur (1995), The Mountains of the Buddha (2009), Five Past Midnight in Bhopal (2002, written with Dominique Lapierre), Passion India (2007), The Red Sari (2015), El imperio eres tú (2011 Planeta Prize) and the recent Nos quieren muertos, which he will talk about at this event. This rigorous, frenetic work portrays the life of a figure who is central to understanding Venezuela today: Leopoldo López, who, after being jailed in 2014 because of his leading role in the mass protests against the Nicolás Maduro government, became a symbol for the struggle for democracy in the country.

The grand final concert opens with the spectacular Armando Servín Quintet, a project that was founded in October 2014 and whose mission is to disseminate jazz among the new generations; and continues with the La Rumorosa Blues Band, a music ensemble from Queretaro state, founded in 2010, dedicated to experiments in the composition and performance of the blues, in all its varieties and sub-genres, creating a unique musical proposal that they call “rocknblues”. With Pek Santiago (vocals and guitar), Favio Olvera (keyboards), Jorge Cuenca (bass), Jorge Mejia (drums) and Poncho Ortiz (guitar).

Julieta Norma Fierro Gossman is an astronomer, a member of the Academy of the Language, and a leading popular scientist. She also lectures at the Faculty of Sciences, researches with the Institute of Astronomy, and is General Manager of Scientific Communication at UNAM; she is also the former Director of the Universum museum. She has written hundreds of articles and over 40 books of popular science, telling the story of astronomy, the nature of the solar system... She has been recognised for her work with honorary doctorates, UNESCO’s Kalinga Prize for the Popularization of Science, and an invitation to join the Mexican Academy of the Language.

Marta Peirano (Spain) is a journalist and researcher who specialises in the relations between power and technology. Her work is known for its critical and analytical insights, investigating the dangers of concentrated power structures and addictive digital dynamics, and has received international recognition. Her latest book is Contra el futuro, resistencia ciudadana contra el feudalismo climático. According to her, there are solutions to climate change within our reach and her book sets out some strategies for citizen action in order to counter the acceleration of climate feudalism and disaster capitalism; a new anti-apocalyptic approach that builds hope for the future. In conversation with Olivia Zerón.

In a world where advances in technology will enhance our efficiency and perform many of our tasks for us, creativity and other essentially human skills will become increasingly valuable.

In this inaugural panel the young singer and environmental activist Sara Abad, the Galician neuroscientist, professor and researcher in New York; Susana Martínez-Conde, the pilosopher Pilar Cortada, director of Eina Obra —an initiative aimed at promoting the transition towards socially and ecologically sustainable practices through design and art— and professor at the State University of New York; the author of books on the human essence and technology entrepreneur Xavier Ginesta and other guests will take part in this discussion about the brain and its relationship to creativity along with the winner of the 2014 Princesa de Girona Social Award and Community Builder of Banco Sabadell Foundation, Mohamed El Amrani.

There will be a book signing at the end of the event in the room next to the entrance of IE University

Event in Spanish

François-Henri Désérable returned from a long trip to Iran after the harsh repression of the uprisings of 2022 with a sense of powerlessness over his experience and the need to tell the story. Arrested by the Revolutionary Guards, he was forced to leave the country. Yet the plan had been so much more peaceful: to follow in the footsteps of travel writer Nicolas Bouvier in Iran. He was already on the outbound plane when it all went wrong with a phone call urging him to turn around as his life could be in danger. From this bitter experience was born the book L’Usure d’un monde: une traversée de l’Iran. ('The Wear and Tear of a World. A Journey through Iran'). Born in 1987, Désérable featured on the prestigious Blanche de Gallimard 2013 list of authors, with Tu montreras ma tête au peuple, a novel set in the French Revolution. With Évariste he won prizes such as the Geneviève Moll Biography and Histoire de Paris. He established himself as one of the best writers of his generation by winning the Grand Prix de l'Académie Française 2021 with Mon maître et mon vainqueur.

Désérable will talk to Eva Orúe, journalist, writer, cultural manager, and director of the Madrid Book Fair. The event will be introduced by Isabelle Berneron, attaché for books, ideas and media networks at the Institut Français D'Espagne.

There will be a book signing at the end of the event in the lecture room next to the entrance

With simultaneous translation from French to Spanish

The poet Paul Muldoon has been writing and publishing poetry for over five decades. He has been Poetry Editor at The New Yorker, has won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry and the International Griffin Poetry Prize, among many other awards. He was Professor of Poetry at Oxford, President of the UK’s Poetry Society and is currently Professor in the Humanities at Princeton University. He has published over 30 poetry books, the most recent one published in Spanish being Elegías. He will talk to the Spanish translator of his work, Pura López Colomé.

Simultaneous translation from English to Spanish available

Craft and technology fuse in the realm of design, creating a landscape where tradition meets innovation and the past is preserved and reinvented through the use of contemporary tools. This event will delve into this intricate relationship and explore how cutting-edge technology can elevate and protect craftsmanship. From artisanal techniques to digital advances, join us as we discover the symbiotic fusion that honours and transforms the rich heritage of design. David Goodman, Dean of IE School of Architecture and Design will converse with Simoneta Gómez-Acebo, representative of the Michelangelo Foundation for Creativity and Craftsmanship and active member of the Contemporary Association of Arts and Crafts, Belén Llamas Ferrier, president of the Contemporary Association of Arts and Crafts and Miguel Leiro, designer, curator, and educator founder of Office of Design and curator of the MAYRIT Bienal a leading experimental architecture and design platform.

Event in English with simultaneous translation to Spanish

Gisela Leal published her first novel aged 24, making her the youngest author to be published by the famous Alfaguara house. El club de los abandonados (2011) was shortlisted for the Alfaguara Prize, and is a novel about excess and decadence in high society, expressed through the tragic and opulent lives of her characters. She later published El maravilloso y trágico arte de morir de amor (2015), a story that unfolds through a continuous conversation between a young women and a writer who, in cities such as New York, Mexico City and Barcelona, try to find company in their loneliness, telling each other how they have reached that point in their lives. Her third novel, Oda a la soledad y todo aquello que pudimos ser y no fuimos porque así somos (2017) tells the story of a family that enjoys fortune and social prestige in the eyes of others. However, one of the heirs seems to embody an error in the family system: he is a potential suicide who reveals the faults, absences and unbridgeable distances that exist among its members. Leal has also published stories in the magazines Eñe and P Magazine. On this occasion, she will talk about her work with her editor, Mayra González, and with the journalist Denise Maerker.

Caitlin Moran (United Kingdom) won a British Press Award for Best Columnist of the Year in 2010 and two more for Best Critic and Best Interviewer in 2011. She is the author of the award-winning book of non-fiction How To Be a Woman (2014), a testimony that has been considered essential reading for our times. She now presents More Than a Woman (2022), which takes up the concerns of the previous book from the perspective of a woman aged over forty and deals with the new issues that arise with age: sexuality, changes in one’s body, professional life, motherhood, domestic life, relations with teenagers and older people… Caitlin Moran has written a brave and intimate manifesto about the life experiences of a middle-aged woman in the 21st century. In conversation with Gabriela Warkentin.

Human beings have always made sense of their world by means of stories. But now, as people increasingly retreat into silos of perceived differences and the planet verges on catastrophe, the need for stories has never been greater, because storytelling offers us a way out of social and ecological collapse.

In this interactive workshop, Cece Helgesen, founder of StoryJam Europe based in Montpellier, France, will examine the role of storytelling in our personal and professional lives and guide participants through a series of exercises aimed at stimulating what she calls "the inner lens of storytelling," so that elements of lived experiences can be used to construct distinctive personal stories that connect with others and spur them to action.

Storytelling is a powerful tool that we can all use to work toward a more compassionate world, not only with each other, but with the planet itself.

Event in French

An in-depth conversation on justice, conflict, democracy and rule of law by Mark Muller Stuart and Soraya Saénz de Santamaria, moderated by Soledad Atienza.

Muller Stuart KC is a barrister specializing in international law and human rights. A member of King's Council since 2006, he advises global organisations. He has written books and reports on human rights and has carried out missions in places including Afghanistan, Sudan, Palestine, Iraq, Syria, Libya and Turkey. Founder of Beyond Borders, he works to facilitate dialogue and reconciliation in countries in conflict. Sáenz de Santamaria is a state lawyer, member of the Council of State, formerly Vice President of the Spanish government and Minister of the Presidency from 2011 to 2018.

The event will be moderated by Atienza, lawyer, Dean of IE Law School, senior advisor at the International Bar Association, and author of the book Teaching Law.

With simultaneous translation from English to Spanish

Based on her personal experiences and from a study of psychology, neuroscience, literature and memoires of great artists from different creative fields, the renowned Rosa Montero (Spain) presents us an intriguing look at the links between creativity and mental instability in her most recent book, El peligro de estar cuerda. This offers readers numerous curious insights into how our brain works when we create, identifying those aspects that influence creativity and putting them before the reader’s eyes as she writes, like a detective bringing together the various clues involved in an investigation. In conversation with the journalist of the American edition of El País, Javier Lafuente.