Hay Festival Querétaro 2021

Oleksandra Matviichuk (Ukraine), is a lawyer and activist of the Center for Civil Liberties, awarded the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize together with Memorial. Human rights defender, works on Ukrainian and OSCE issues. She currently heads the human rights organization Civil Liberties and also coordinates the work of the Euromaidan SOS initiative group. She has experience in creating horizontal structures for the mass participation of people in human rights activities against attacks on rights and freedoms, as well as several years with her practice of documenting violations during armed conflicts. In 2016 she received the Defender of Democracy Award for her "unique contribution to the promotion of democracy and human rights" of missions to the OSCE. In 2017 she became the first woman to participate in the Ukrainian Emerging Leaders Program at Stanford University. She will talk with Mario Arriagada.

With simultaneous interpretation from English to Spanish

One of the founding members and the bassist with the most legendary group in the history of punk, the Sex Pistols, comes to Queretaro to tell us about his musical history. Glen Matlock (United Kingdom) made a decisive contribution to the sound and image of the Sex Pistols, and co-wrote many of their iconic songs, including Anarchy in the UK and God Save the Queen. Since then, Matlock has continued his musical career, working with various artists, and releasing music as a soloist and with his own band, Rich Kids, and also writing the musical autobiography Triggers, a Life in Music. In conversation with Mariana H.

Simultaneous interpretation from English to Spanish available

Coinciding with the publication in Mexico of Sisters of the Yam, by the great African-American thinker bell hooks, we bring together three writers, all admirers of hooks, to talk about her work and the influence of her legacy. With Jumko Ogata (Mexico) is a writer and anti-racist activist from Veracruz; she contributed to the anthology Tsunami II and is the author of the children’s book Mi pelo chino; she has also translated this edition of hooks’ work. They will talk to the writer Gabriela Jauregui.

Simultaneous interpretation from English to Spanish available

The writer and violinist Jay Sandoval (Guatemala) has accumulated over 19 million readings on Wattpad of his saga, La teoría de Kim. A talented child, he learned to play the violin aged eight and aged 13 he went to the Guatemalan National School of Music. His passion for literature, with the aim of creating a safe place where readers can find themselves and feel free, has led him to publish his stories on digital platforms, creating an extensive community that advocates for the ideals of inclusion, authenticity and self-discovery. In conversation with Romina Pons.

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 Heather Cleary.

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

Henry Marsh is a renowned British writer and retired neurosurgeon. He is the author of, among other books, And Finally. Matters of Life and Death, which tells of his own experience as a cancer patient. At this event he will talk about the principles and goals of palliative care, and about the challenges and opportunities that currently exist in terms of a dignified death, offering advice and recommendations to help patients and their loved ones face this difficult stage of life with dignity and compassion. In conversation with Mariana H.

Simultaneous interpretation from English to Spanish available

The cultural activities that arise from community ties feed back into a strengthening of these communities, creating a positive impact on their inhabitants and facilitating the work of creators and artists. At this event, we will find out about three artistic community projects from three countries, which can help to create a route map for initiatives that have such positive effects on our communities. Javier García del Moral talks to Israel Nieves from La Otra Banda (Mexico) and STORY ZETU (Kenya).

Simultaneous interpretation from English to Spanish available

Two writers talk to Elvira Liceaga about their latest books. Marina Perezagua (Spain) is a writer, academic and frequent colaborator of El País; she writes short-stories and novels, and her latest book is La playa, a novel that sheds the light (but also casts a shadow) on the complexity of motherhood and bonds between mothers and daughters. The writer Olivia Teroba (Mexico) will explore the powerful impact of writing in the lives of characters, as well as in her own, highlighting its ability to offer support with regard to social pressures, create authentic connections and find a path that identifies us. Teroba is the author of the books of autobiographical essay Un lugar seguro and Dinero y escritura, in which she addresses the challenges involved in the profession of writing. Her short stories have been included in various volumes published in Mexico, Spain, Chile and Argentina.

This event promises to be a magical experience full of stories and laughter. We present an exciting puppet kamishibai of Mi abuelo se comió un reloj, a story by the puppeteer Raúl Ángeles, illustrated by Arturo Trejo Delgado and published by the Queretaro Municipality Department of Culture. This is an adventure where imagination and fun come together to make for an unforgettable performance. The author will guide us through the pages of his story, while the characters come alive before our eyes, becoming enchanting puppet figures.

Raúl Robin Morales is the creator of the animated short film El tigre sin rayas and of the illustrated book of the same name. In the story, we meet a little tiger from the savannah who, until the others, has no stripes. The young feline undertakes a journey to seek them, and finds other things on the way. At this event, we will watch the short film and discover the book that tells this beautiful story.

CaminaLee is an initiative that organizes walks aimed at connecting your feet and your brain, letting you listen to stories, characters, history, legends and adventures, all from a different perspective. Connecting with your imagination and your inner wisdom while you walk, feeling what you see. Walking but also reading to visit other worlds, fantastic worlds that you were not aware of, worlds where you can learn about the past, the present and the future. With CaminaLee, we will go out and tour iconic locations in the old quarter, finding the most important sites, monuments and churches, as well as some of the historical legends of the city. An explanation will be given about each of them, including the Teatro de la Ciudad, the Guerrero Gardens, the Palacio Municipal, the Church of Santa Clara, the Fountain of Neptune, the Casa de la Marquesa, the Camino Real de Tierra Adentro route and many other places, sharing the legends of La Carambada, El Marquéz de la Villa del Villar del Águila, La Zacatenaca, among others, with rest stops and discussion of historical figures and the chance to draw them too.

To participate in this activity, please click here to fill in the registration form

Every child must be accompanied by an adult

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.

Colin Greenwood will participate in this event digitally.

Simultaneous interpretation from English to Spanish available

Various contemporary artists from different latitudes talk about their work. With the photographer Inès Bouallou (Morocco), the artist Soukaina Joual, the theatre collective Story Zetu & Too Early for Birds (Kenya), and the artist, activist and presenter Guz Guevara (Mexico). In conversation with Ester Bautista Botello.

Simultaneous interpretation from English and French available

An event about why it is so important to educate, talk and legislate on the subject of mental health, at which three festival guests will speak about how to prevent, heal and use creativity to boost mental health. With the writers Amalia Andrade (Colombia), Montse Bizarro (Spain) and Silvia Vásquez-Lavado (Peru), who, in conversation with Claudia Ivonne Hernández, will share their experiences and reflections about this matter, so important to all of us.

Libraries and archives, repositories of history… and of histories, in plural. At this event, we start from the idea of how non-hegemonic history, in the Mexican case particularly the history of native peoples, has been researched through the existence of extraordinary archives. With Baruc Martínez Díaz (Chinampero people of San Pedro Tláhuac), historian, translator, poet, teacher and author of Faustino Chimalpopoca Galicia. Un intelectual indígena en el México decimonónico, a work that shows us the existence, continuity and scope of the indigenous intellectual tradition in Mexico. And with Javier Eduardo Ramírez López (Mexico), who works with the Teotihuacan Diocese and Chalco Valley Archives, where 4,000 documents are being digitalized; these documents, in Náhuatl and colonial Spanish, cover the period from the first decades of colonialism to Independence. Both will talk to the Zoque thinker and academic Josefa Sánchez Contreras (Mexico).

Ekaterina Álvarez was born in Moscow and lives in Prague. She is the publisher and author of her first children’s book, ¿Dónde está Arte?. In this entertaining work, the writer takes us on a trip through some of Mexico City’s main museums (from the Anthropological Museum, to the University Museum of Contemporary Art, via Chapultepec Castle and the Museum of Modern Art) in search of the Treasure of the Bones, together with little Otta and her dog Artemio. However, in the blink of an eye, Arte gets lost, and we go together with Otta to find him. In conversation with Kenya Acosta.

This event is part of the Literary Pairs series run by the Hay Festival and the British Council; as part of the project, each “literary pair” will repeat the event at the Hay Festival Hay-on-Wye (Wales, UK) in 2025. With Hind Hassan (UK/Irak), journalist who regularly covers international news for outlets such as Al Jazeera, Vice and Skynews, and Marcela Turati (México), a journalist who is part of Periodistas de a Pie, winner of numerous awards for her investigations and author of several books, including the award-winning San Fernando: última parada. In conversation with the photojournalist Héctor Guerrero.

Simultaneous interpretation from English to Spanish available

The acclaimed Spanish writer will talk 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. In conversation with Daniel Pardo.

Two authors who have published new novels will talk to Gina Jaramillo. With Montse Bizarro (Spain), a graduate in Journalism and Humanities from the Pompeu Fabra University, who has worked for media outlets such as El Punt Avui and Europa Press, as well as in corporate communication. Her debut novel Mañana ya no hablaremos de nada talks about abusive and toxic relationships, with neurodivergent characters, showing how they challenge the imposed norms and seek to define their space in the world. Frida Cartas (Mexico), is from Mazatlán and describes herself as a housewife and part-time writer. A former presenter at the Instituto Mexicano de la Radio with the programme Altersexual (a sexual anthropology programme) on Radio Ciudadan, she gives workshops on sexual and reproductive rights for young people, with a class and gender perspective, and also works in the digital media. She is the author of the extraordinary novel Transporte a la infancia, which, using honest, colloquial language, recalls the scenes from her childhood in which she discovered and affirmed her identity, creating an essential testimony for the recognition of trans childhoods, bringing to light the urgency of guaranteeing respect, protection and freedom for trans children.

The guest at this event is a pioneer with great achievements. She was the first Peruvian woman to reach the summit of the world’s highest mountain, Sagarmatha (Mount Everest), and to climb the six highest peaks on the other continents She is also the first openly LGTBI+ person to reach the seven summits. Silvia Vásquez-Lavado tells her story in the book In the Shadow of the Mountain, winner of the Stanford Travel Book of the Year. In it, the author tells of these milestones, as well as a past of trauma and excess, of alcoholism and promiscuous sex, and before this, childhood abuse. Vásquez-Lavado reveals how an ayahuasca ceremony helped her to connect to the mountains. It is part of her story that she undertakes her expeditions together with other victims of sexual abuse, as part of the Courageous Girls project, founded in 2014. Silvia Vásquez-Lavado will talk to Yuriria Sierra about her activism, her memories and about the film that is currently being made.

Two fascinating poets tell us about their recent work, in conversation with the literary critic Guillermo Núñez. With Garry Gottfriedson (Canada), poet, rancher and member of the Secwepemc community, who has just published Tierra y lenguaje, a representative sample of his poetry, published in bilingual format (English/Spanish). Poeta griego arcaico is the most recent book by Luis Felipe Fabre (Mexico), poet, fiction writer and dramatist, who returns to poetry after a number of years away, taking up the mythological story of Medusa and Perseus. This is a masterly retelling of ancient legends, bringing them into dialogue with us and our present, with a poetic language so precise and evocative that the images he sings will reverberate long in the minds of readers. Introduced by Ingrid Bejerman.

Simultaneous interpretation from English to Spanish available

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.

Mexico has a female president for the first time in its history. Several guests at the festival, some of them participants in the book Presidenta. Más de 100 mujeres te escriben talk with the book's coordinator, journalist Yuriria Sierra, about the expectations of this new government. With Gabriela Jauregui, Brenda Lozano and Mariana H.

Patrick Autréaux (France) worked as an emergency psychiatrist for years, before devoting himself to writing in 2006. He is the author of a unique work which explores the relationships between medicine and literature, and here presents Pussyboy, about two men who have created a tacit agreement involving surprise sexual encounters, in the celebration of a ritual that is both ordinary and marvellous. He will talk to the writer and publisher Felipe Restrepo Pombo.

Simultaneous interpretation from French to Spanish available

Antonio Ortuño is a major voice in Mexican contemporary literature, and his fascinating body of work challenges conventions in forms of exploring social and political matters. In conversation with Javier Lafuente, Ortuño will talk about his novels, which tackle themes such as violence and corruption, satire of the corporate world, the migration routes of Central America, and dystopian perspectives on his country. Ortuño will also talk about the project Verdades compartidas, an anthology which, thanks to the Hay Festival and the Colombian International Centre for Transitional Justice, reimagines and tells the story of Colombia after the peace process, through the writings of ten Latin American figures. He will talk to the writer and journalist, Javier Lafuente.