The Hay 30 – Julianne PACHICO

Gustavo Rodríguez is the author of the recent Peruvian novel, Madrugada,which tells the story of a family from Lima whose routine is interrupted by the appearance of the daughter of one of the family members, who had been unknown to them. This narrative offers Rodríguez a way to explore the contradictory nature of the human heart. In 2017, Julianne Pachico, born in the United Kingdom and raised in Colombia, presented her first work, The Lucky Ones. It isa novel of interconnected stories that take place over 20 years, in both Colombia and New York, in the context of the armed conflict in Colombia. They will talk to John Naranjo.

With the support of the British Council

Translated into more than a dozen languages and considered one of the 20 best young writers of 2013 by Granta, Sarah Hall (The Wolf Border, Madame Zero, The Beautiful indifference, The Electric Michelangelo) is a multi-award-winning novelist. Julianne Pachico (The Lucky Ones, The Tourists) is one of the great promises of British literature. Her first novel was finalist for the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year award. Both share love and talent for short novels.

Embracing themes of memory, regret and home, The Anthill is a panoramic evocation of modern-day Colombia in all its vibrancy and squalor, as well as a deeply intimate account of a young woman’s search for self-fulfilment.

Lina returns to Colombia after a 20-year absence. Sent to England following her mother's death when she was eight, she is searching for the person who can tell her what's happened in the intervening period. Matty, Lina's childhood confidant and best friend, runs a refuge called The Anthill for the street kids of Medellín. But her long-anticipated reunion with him is struck by tension. Memory is fallible, and Linda discovers that everyone has a version of the past that is very, very different.

The author talks to the arts correspondent Rosie Goldsmith.

The US feminist campaign, #metoo, has shaken the world and struck a blow in favour of gender equality. International artists such as British author Julianne Pachico; the Swedish writer Karolina Ramqvist; the British businessman, philanthropist and publisher William Sieghart; and the renowned Danish author Janne Teller, accompany us, together with the journalist Maya Jaggi, to talk about this most important subject.

Simultaneous translation from English to Spanish available

With the support of Swedish Arts Council, Danish Arts Foundation, British Council and Británico

For the first time ever, the British Council hosts a stage in the Plaza San Martín where it will present a series of literary dances in which the audience will enjoy public readings while learning the steps of Europe and the world’s most representative dances together with some of the writers attending this year’s festival such as Sabrina Mahfouz and Julianne Pachico. The sound of words and music will give rhythm to this unique, playful and inspiring activity. The event lasts about one hour and half approximately.

Min Jin Lee’s novel Pachinko is an epic tale of identity and survival and love, set across four generations of a Korean family in Japan. Julianne Pachico’s stories collected as The Lucky Ones explore the riveting lives and stories of a huge range of people caught up in the violence of Colombia’s guerrilla insurgencies. They talk to Lena de Casparis of Elle magazine.