Hay Festival Cartagena 2023

Welcome to the Hay Festival Cartagena de Indias 2023 programme, to be held from 26 to 29 January. In this page you can find the events in the general programme as well as Hay Joven activities tor university audiences, Hay Comunitario sessions which will take place in different areas of Cartagena, Reading Clubs and Talento Editorial.

The tickets of the general programme and reading clubs are on sale for in person events. If you wish to register to see the live streaming of events, please select the option "Register to watch online" when this option is available. Hay Joven, Hay Comunitario and Talento Editorial are 100% in person and free of charge.

If you have any issues regarding the payment of your tickets, please contact us at tickets@hayfestival.org or at +57 317 516 55 13.

If you are a students a wish to request free tickets, you can write to us at estudiantes@hayfestival.com.

If you have any general questions, you can find us at contacto@hayfestival.org.

Event 9

Jon Lee Anderson in conversation with Jaime Abello Banfi

Michael Jacobs Prize. Travel writing

 Centro de Formación de la Cooperación Española (Salón del Rey)
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The US journalist and writer Jon Lee Anderson, part of the New Yorker team and the author of numerous books on Latin America, the Middle East and Africa, will talk to Jaime Abello Banfi, Director of the Gabo Foundation, about his love of travel writing.

Since 2014, the Gabo Foundation and the Hay Festival Cartagena de Indias, as part of an alliance lasting over a decade, have been offering, in homage to the English writer, the Michael Jacobs Travel Writing Grant, an award that is supported by the Michael Jacobs Foundation for Travel Writing.

This event has taken place
Jon Lee Anderson in conversation with Jaime Abello Banfi

Event TE2

Dejanira Álvarez Cárdenas and Andrea Montejo in conversation with Nubia Macías

Reading in Spanish: the Feria Internacional del Libro de Nueva York

 Centro de Formación de la Cooperación Española (Salón Mutis)
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The Feria Internacional del Libro de Nueva York is becoming a flagship event for the Latino book in the United States. We will talk about its present and its future. Featuring Dejanira Álvarez Cárdenas, Director of the Feria Internacional del Libro de Nueva York; and Andrea Montejo, Director of Indent Literary Agency. Moderated by Nubia Macías, General Manager of NM Consultora, Mexico City (Mexico).

This event has taken place
Dejanira Álvarez Cárdenas and Andrea Montejo in conversation with Nubia Macías

Event HJ7

Tei Shi: talk and concert in conversation with Federico Ochoa

 Universidad Tecnológica de Bolívar (Sede Manga) - Mini explanada Auditorio Jorge Taua
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Tei Shi (Valerie Teicher Barbosa) is a Colombian-Canadian singer and songwriter. Her lyrics, which were initially all in English, have gradually come to terms with her Hispanic roots, the result of the Latin music that was always playing around her; and also due to a particular source of inspiration, which is wishing to set poems written in Spanish to music. Her latest work, Bad Premonition, is composed of six songs that demonstrate how well she has consolidated her artistic personality after ten years of searching and introspection, thus opening a new phase of creative freedom and growth. She will offer a brief concert and will talk about her music career. In conversation with Federico Ochoa.

This event has taken place
Tei Shi: talk and concert in conversation with Federico Ochoa

Event 10

Julio Victoria Live Band in concert

 Centro de Convenciones (Auditorio Getsemaní)
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Julio Victoria Live Band was created in 2014, embarking on a journey through different layers, textures and a contemplative exploration that is unpredictable and takes risks with various sonic proposals. In their quest and research of traditional rhythms from some regions of their country, they have found enormous inspiration in the resonances of the Pacific Coast, in representative Afro-Colombian instruments such as the marimba, in minor percussions and in the harp, the main tool of joropo and music from the Eastern Plains (Llanos Orientales). Guided by all mentioned above, Victoria skillfully integrates multiple synthesizers to create an authentic and innovative musical result.

This event has taken place
Julio Victoria Live Band in concert

Event 11

Irene Lozano in conversation with Juan Gabriel Vásquez

Against disinformation

 Centro de Formación de la Cooperación Española (patio)
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The Spanish thinker, writer and politician, Irene Lozano, will talk to the writer Juan Gabriel Vásquez about the phenomenon of disinformation and how it affects citizens, the press and even governments, from the Brexit referendum to US elections and the nationalist movements and wars that characterise our present moment. Lozano is the author of a dozen books, winner of the Espasa Essay Prize and current Director of the Casa Árabe in Madrid. She has also been Secretary of State for Global Spain (2018-2020), Chair of the Higher Sports Council (2020-2021), Member of the Madrid Regional Assembly and a Member of the Spanish Parliament.

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Irene Lozano in conversation with Juan Gabriel Vásquez

Event 11B

Héctor Abad Faciolince, Volodymyr Yermolenko and José Manuel Cajigas in conversation with Catalina Gómez Ángel

Celebrating Victoria Amelina: Dom's Dream Kingdom

 Teatro Adolfo Mejía
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On June 27th, a Russian missile struck the Ria pizzeria in the Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk, leading to the death of the war crimes researcher and writer Victoria Amelina (Ukraine). Her tragic demise coincided with the release of the Spanish version of her book Dom's Dream Kingdom ('Un hogar para Dom'), published by Avizor with a prologue by Hector Abad Faciolince —sadly, a moment she never got to witness. This novel, depicting the lives of three generations of a family led by an old Soviet pilot and war veteran settled in Lviv, a city that was once one of Europe's major cultural centers, had established Amelina as one of the finest Ukrainian writers of the new generation. Héctor Abad Faciolince, Volodymyr Yermolenko, Avizor's editor José Manuel Cajigas, and journalist Catalina Gómez Ángel, a friend of the author, will discuss this book.

Volodymyr Yermolenko will participate in this event digitally.

Simultaneous translation from English to Spanish will be provided

This event has taken place
Héctor Abad Faciolince, Volodymyr Yermolenko and José Manuel Cajigas in conversation with Catalina Gómez Ángel

Event HC6

Rocio Bonilla

 Institución Educativa Felipe Santiago Escobar - Turbaco
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This author and illustrator is the creator of over 50 books, which have been translated into almost 30 languages. She originally studied Fine Art and Education, and for many years worked in advertising. Since 2013, Rocio Bonilla has written and drawn for young people. Some of her illustrated books include ¿De qué color es un beso?, La montaña de libros más alta del mundo and Abuelos, pirañas y otras historias. She is also the creator of the Babymoni series, which is about a girl who discovers the world around her, exploring her emotions and her everyday life.
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Rocio Bonilla

Event HC7

Álvaro Ortiz

 Centro de Formación de la Cooperación Española (Biblioteca)
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Álvaro Ortiz is a comic illustrator and author, the winner of numerous prizes and the creator of several graphic novels. His latest is written for children and is entitled La pequeña genia y la partida de shatranj. His work deals with matters related to the history of art, the past, travel and remote cultures.
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Álvaro Ortiz

Event 13

Javier Moro in conversation with Moisés Naím

 Centro de Convenciones (Auditorio Getsemaní)
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This celebrated Spanish author will talk to Moisés Naím about his most recent books. Javier Moro, one of the bestselling Spanish-language writers, is also a journalist and has worked as a screenwriter and film producer in Hollywood. His books include Senderos de libertad (1992), El pie de Jaipur (1995), Las montañas de Buda (1997), Five Past Midnight In Bhopal (2001, a work written together with Dominique Lapierre), Passion India, The Red Sari, El imperio eres tú (2011 Planeta Prize) and, more recently Nos quieren muertos, which the author will talk about at this event. This book, which is both an exciting read and a rigorous study, is about a key figure for understanding contemporary Venezuela: Leopoldo López. Upon being jailed in 2014, after leading massive protests against the Maduro government, López became a symbol of the struggle for democracy in the country.

This event has taken place
Javier Moro in conversation with Moisés Naím

Event 14

In Koli Jean Bofane and Adania Shibli in conversation with Jon Lee Anderson

South to South conversations: literature and freedom of expression

 Centro de Convenciones (Salón Barahona)
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The space available for writing should always be a safe place for the artist, but are there external limitations on the imaginations of writers? Jon Lee Anderson will talk to the Congolese writer In Koli Jean Bofane, author of Mathématiques Congolaises, and the Palestinian writer Adania Shibli, author of Minor Detail, about their experiences as creators, their perspective with regard to freedom of expression, and how this has affected their work.

Simultaneous translation from English to Spanish available

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In Koli Jean Bofane and Adania Shibli in conversation with Jon Lee Anderson

Event 15

Andrea Wulf in conversation with Misha Glenny

Magnificent rebels

 Teatro Adolfo Mejía
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The historian Andrea Wulf (UK-Germany), winner of the 2013 Eccles Centre & Hay Festival Writer's Award, will talk about her latest book Magnificent Rebels, in which she delves into history and tells the story of a group of thinkers who, in the small German city of Jena in the 18th century, first expressed some of the concepts that would determine the thought of later centuries. With an engaging style and fascinating anecdotes, Wulf offers a panorama of some of the most important ideas of Romantic philosophy, and how these have affected our perspective of the contemporary subject. In conversation with Misha Glenny.

Simultaneous translation from English to Spanish available

This event has taken place
Andrea Wulf in conversation with Misha Glenny

Event 16

Alana S. Portero in conversation with Gloria Susana Esquivel

 Centro de Formación de la Cooperación Española (patio)
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Recognised by the Ministry of Equality of Spain for her contribution to making visible trans women, Alana S. Portero is a historian, writer, dramatist, theatre director and LGTBIQ+ activist. Portero will talk about her first novel, La mala costumbre, which tells the moving story of the childhood and teenage years of a girl who grows up in a body that feels strange to her. Set in Madrid in the 1980s and 90s, the text deals with the uneasiness and resentment caused by a society that, unable to accept difference, distorts it. She will talk to Gloria Susana Esquivel.

This event has taken place
Alana S. Portero in conversation with Gloria Susana Esquivel

Event 17

Jorge Comensal and Eduardo Romero García in conversation with Daniella Sánchez Russo

 Centro de Formación de la Cooperación Española (Salón del Rey)
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Jorge Comensal is the author of Este vacío que hierve (2023), a novel that explores matters such as the malleable nature of space-time, the environmental crisis, family secrets, addiction and fanaticism. In ¿Cómo va a ser la montaña un dios? (2023), Eduardo Romero García tells a powerful story that links the lives of an old man in Asturias, once a miner, with those of some Afro-Colombian women who reach Europe, and a group of Colombian migrants who flee their country and when they reach their destination they find ships that have brought coal from La Guajira, to a Spanish port. In conversation with Daniella Sánchez Russo.
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Jorge Comensal and Eduardo Romero García in conversation with Daniella Sánchez Russo

Event HC8

'Letras al carbón' and other stories by Irene Vasco

Reading of and conversation on some of her books

 Corporación Ruleli
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Irene Vasco has dedicated her life to books and reading. As well as writing, she has also worked in bookselling and as a reading promoter. She is the creator of over 30 books of children’s literature, including Conjuros y sortilegios, Expedición Macondo, Letras al carbón and La independencia de Colombia: así fue.
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'Letras al carbón' and other stories by Irene Vasco

Event HC9

Valentina Toro

The imaginary children

 Salón Comunal de Malagana
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Valentina Toro studied Graphic Design and later did a Master’s degree in Creative Writing. She is the author and illustrator of eight books, a number of which have been shortlisted for international prizes. Valentina is interested in stories about ghosts, animals, magic and supernatural beings. In her latest book, Los niños imaginarios, she deals with matters including the family and mourning. It tells the story of Lorenzo, who, after the death of his father, moves with his family to a house near a forest, one that his grandmother says is full of monsters. One day, guided by a dog, the child enters the wood and starts to discover all kinds of mysteries.
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Valentina Toro

Event HC22

Raúl Ballesteros

 Biblioteca Popular de Playa Blanca
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Artist, historian and creator of the 'Ciudad Parapeto' series, Raúl Ballesteros is the illustrator of the book Alba y el pequeño gran Toto, written by Carolina Cabarcas. On this occasion he will offer an art workshop, one that will help us think about the world around us through creativity.

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Raúl Ballesteros

Event HJ8

Ana Paula Maia y Fernanda Trías en conversación con Willian Malkún Castillejo

Shared truths

 Universidad de Cartagena, Claustro de San Agustín (Aula Máxima de Derecho)
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The Hay Festival and the International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) present the anthology Verdades compartidas, a project that reimagines Colombia after the peace process, written by ten Latin American authors. The project presents an inclusive and holistic vision of the peace process, and portrays not only the diversity of the country, but also sets the nation within the Latin American context. Three contributors to the anthology, Ana Paula Maia (Brazil) and Fernanda Trías (Uruguay) will talk about their texts, perspectives and feelings. In conversation with the Rector of Cartagena University, Willian Malkún Castillejo.

Simultaneous translation from Portuguese to Spanish available

This event has taken place
Ana Paula Maia y Fernanda Trías en conversación con Willian Malkún Castillejo

Event CL1

Book club: Jorge Franco in conversation with Ana María Aponte

 Casa Hay (Centro de Convenciones)
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Our book clubs are intimate events with guests selected from the Hay Festival programme. These small-scale events will be a chance to talk in depth about the most recent work published by those invited. At this event, Jorge Franco (Colombia) will talk to Ana María Aponte about his book El vacío en el que flotas. The explosion of a bomb sparks off this story in which a child disappears, and a plot unfolds in three apparently independent narratives, threads which eventually interconnect in an unexpected and dramatic way.

The book should be read before attending.
This event has taken place
Book club: Jorge Franco in conversation with Ana María Aponte

Event TE3

Margarita Valencia and Paula Andrea Marín in conversation with Paco Goyanes

Presentation of the book 'Oficio libros: historias de libreras and libreros de Colombia'

 Centro de Formación de la Cooperación Española (Salón Mutis)
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Published this year by the Ariel publishing house, Oficio libros is a collection of testimony by 15 Colombian booksellers who love their work and are convinced of their profession’s social and cultural importance. Margarita Valencia and Paula Andrea Marín in conversation with Paco Goyanes.
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Margarita Valencia and Paula Andrea Marín in conversation with Paco Goyanes

Event 18

Juan Gabriel Vásquez in conversation with Ana Bejarano

 Centro de Convenciones (Auditorio Getsemaní)
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The award-winning Colombian writer of both fiction and non-fiction, Juan Gabriel Vásquez, whose bibliography contains 17 books including novels, short stories, essays and poetry published in 30 languages, is one of the country’s most prolific and renowned writers. In his most recent book, La traducción del mundo, Vásquez presents the talks he gave at Oxford University in 2022, when he was invited to give the prestigious Weidenfeld Lectures, a series that has previously featured speakers such as Mario Vargas Llosa, Umberto Eco and Javier Cercas. With his habitual erudition, Vásquez gives his vision of literature, particularly fiction, as the highest tool we have for investigating the vastness and essence of human experience. In conversation with Ana Bejarano.

This event has taken place
Juan Gabriel Vásquez in conversation with Ana Bejarano

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