Political analysis on the fourth transformation. Julio Hernández in conversation with Jacobo García

Would it be true to say “change of government, change of paradigm”? Three of Mexico’s most high-profile journalists talk about covering the context of the “fourth transformation”. Julio Hernández was named by Forbes magazine as the third most influential journalist on Twitter in 2015. This press, television and Internet journalist gives video talks that circulate on social media, and from Monday to Friday publishes his Astillero column in La Jornada. He has written Las horas contadas del PRI (1997) and Encabronados (2017), a work of political commentary on the current Mexican scene. He is currently the editorial director of Radio Centro. He will talk about this with the journalist Jacobo García.

Teatro de la Ciudad.

Time: 11:00 - 12:00.

Poets. Leire Bilbao, Alys Conran, Juan Carlos Franco and Isabel Zapata in conversation with Eduardo de la Garma

Leire Bilbao (Spain) is a Basque writer of children’s literature and poetry. Her latest poetry book, Entre escamas (2019), has been published in a bilingual Spanish-Basque edition. Some of her poems have been translated into English, Romanian, Latvian, Czech, Swedish, Mandarin and Galician. The award-winning writer Alys Conran (United Kingdom) is the Cymrawd Rhyngwladol Cymru Greadigol – Hay Festival 2019-20 / Creative Wales Hay Festival International Fellow 2019-20. She has published the novels Pigeon (2016) and Dignity (2019), as well as a body of poetic work. Juan Carlos Franco (Mexico) is a writer, dramatist and essayist. He was a fellow at the Foundation of Mexican Letters (2017–2018). He has published several works, some of which blur the lines between theatre, poetry and fiction, such as Soñé una ciudad amurallada and Trilogía del reino. Isabel Zapata (Mexico) has a Politics degree, is the founder of Antílope publishers and is the author of the non-fiction work Alberca vacía (2019), the poetry collection Las noches son así (2018) and the recent poetry book Una ballena es un país (2019). They talk to Eduardo de la Garma.

Cineteca.

Time: 11:00 - 12:00.

Santiago Gamboa in conversation with Juan Carlos Pérez

The Colombian writer, philologist, diplomat and journalist Santiago Gamboa is the author of ten novels, a short story collection, a book of essays and three books of travel writing, as well as being a tireless explorer of the world; he will present his latest book, Será larga la noche (2019). He will talk to Juan Carlos Pérez.

Foro Escénico del Museo de la Ciudad.

Time: 11:00 - 12:00.

Élmer Mendoza in conversation with Irma Gallo

The writer, dramatist and professor Élmer Mendoza (Mexico) is one of the great detective and narcoliterature writers. In 2018 he published the latest book in the series of adventures of Lefty Mendieta, Asesinato en el Parque Sinaloa. Edgar “Lefty” Mendieta, tired of violence and having to find refuge in a whisky bottle, has decided to leave the police force, until the request of a friend, Abel Sánchez, calls him back to his profession: they have discovered the body of Abel’s son in Sinaloa Park. Now, finding Pedro Sánchez’s murderer is Mendieta’s duty. Élmer Mendoza talks to Irma Gallo.

Patio de la Delegación del Centro Histórico.

Time: 11:00 - 12:00.

Diamela Eltit in conversation with Guillermo Núñez

The Chilean writer Diamela Eltit won the 2018 National Literature Prize, Chile’s highest literary award. In 1983 she published her first novel, Lumpérica, a milestone of resistance given that it was created during Pinochet’s dictatorship, when strict censorship was in place. In her latest book, Sumar (2018), the world’s workers go out into the streets in lively protest against the capitalist system they are immersed in; the novel’s main characters are Casimiro Barrios, Aurora Rojas and Ángela Muñoz, street vendors and peddlers on their way to the Palacio de la Moneda. In conversation with Guillermo Núñez.

Teatro de la Ciudad.

Time: 13:00 - 14:00.

Towards a culture for all. María Fernanda Ampuero, Gabriela Jauregui and Isabel Zapata in conversation with Gaby Wood

Mexican publishing has been shaken by the #metoo movement which brought a wave of accusations against writers, editors and other worker in the industry, which revealed the prevalence of sexist culture; in Argentina the #niunamenos movement was brought into being, and in Chile many artists participated in #conocetucanon. María Fernanda Ampuero (Ecuador), Gabriela Jauregui (Mexico) and Isabel Zapata (Mexico) talk to Gaby Wood (United Kingdom) and offer us insights into the echoes of this movement around the Americas, its effects on the production and publishing of work by women, and the context of feminism today.

Cineteca.

Time: 13:00 - 14:00.

Luis Jorge Boone and Carlos Velázquez in conversation with Irma Gallo

The Coahuila authors Luis Jorge Boone and Carlos Velázquez offer portraits of a raw and decadent northern Mexico. Luis Jorge Boone has set his latest novel, Toda la soledad del centro de la Tierra (2019), in a town overwhelmed by austerity, dereliction and violence. Here, El Chaparro – as he is called by his grandmother – appears. This child, who is searching for his parents, hides in a wardrobe when he feels threatened and gives voice to those who have disappeared from the town. The most recent book by Carlos Velázquez, Despachador de pollo frito, includessix short stories in which the author returns to those sordid characters with which he filled the pages of La marrana negra de la literatura rosa. In his sixth book of short stories  there is no lack of stories about fat people -like the one who gives the book its title- or about eccentric individuals like a classical music conductor who wants to conduct an orchestra while cosplaying as Sailor Moon. They talk about their work with Irma Gallo. 

Foro Escénico del Museo de la Ciudad.

Time: 13:00 - 14:00.

Biodiversity Today: Taking Care of our Planet. Rafael Lira and Tiziana Ulian in conversation with Andrés Rozental

This conversation with Doctor Rafael Lira (UNAM) and Doctor Tiziana Ulian from the Royal Botanic Gardens (United Kingdom) explores our comprehension of plants in nature while we fight to protect biodiversity from the different dangers that threaten it. Using some examples of the work of scientists at Kew Gardens in Mexico and other countries, we will analyze our relationship with nature, our priorities and we will see how science can help us with some solutions. In conversation with Kew Gardens' Ambassador Andrés Rozental.

With the support of Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Patio de la Delegación.

Time: 13:00 - 14:00.

Screening of the documentary Sin tregua. With Diego Rabasa and Brenda Rangel in conversation with Claudia Ivonne Hernández

Sin tregua is a documentary film that deals with the problem of forced disappearance in Mexico. From the beginnings of the so-called War Against Drugs initiated in 2006 by the then president Felipe Calderón, the figures for disappearances in Mexico increased dramatically. Currently the official statistics give a figure in the region of forty thousand people who have disappeared in the country. Sin tregua looks at this terrible phenomenon based on the testimony of six women (nine out of every ten people who are seeking a loved one are women) which tells of the hellish journey they have had to take after the sudden disappearance of a daughter, son, husband or brother (eight out of every ten people who disappear are men). Using the voices of experts who examine and give context to the testimony, Sin tregua reveals the poverty of the Mexican justice system, the incredible impunity which exists in the country and the corrosive link between the State and organized crime.

Language: Spanish - Duration: 25 minutes

The screening will be followed by a conversation between Brenda Ivonne Rangel, funder of the Organización Desaparecidos Justicia en el Estado de Querétaro and co-funder of Fuerzas Unidas por Nuestros Desaparecidos en México (FUNDEM) and the Movimiento Nacional por nuestros Desaparecidos, and Diego Rabasa, director of the film. In conversation with Claudia Ivonne Hernández.

Jardín Guerrero.

Time: 13:00 - 14:30.

México Bizarro II. Julio Patán and Alejandro Rosas

After the publishing success of México Bizarro, Julio Patán and Alejandro Rosas continue with the surprising and incisive approach of their first sharply humorous book, with México Bizarro II (2019). Historical characters, forbidden themes such as politics and football, urban legends and what it means to be Mexican are all covered in this collection of texts. Patán and Rosas burrow into the past to find strange, startling, ironic and absurd stories in order to portray a Mexico affectionately yet critically, with no airs and no pretences.

Teatro de la Ciudad.

Time: 17:00 - 18:00.

Screening of L'Accabadora

In the 1940s, Cagliari was a big city for those who came from small towns. Annetta arrives just as Italy goes to war and the Allies bomb the country. In Cagliari nobody knows anything about this woman, who seems to be keeping a terrible secret about her past. She says she is seeking her niece, Tecla, and she finds work and accommodation with a wealthy family who leave her to look after their mansion. Later, Annetta escapes from the city, fleeing the war. A film by Enrico Pau with Donatella Finocchiaro, Barry Ward, Carolina Crescentini, Sara Serraiocco and Anita Kravos.

Language: Italian with subtitles in Spanish

Duration: 94 minutes

With the support of the Istituto Italiano de Cultura

Cineteca.

Time: 17:00 - 18:00.

Hay Festival illustrated. With Elisa Arguilé, Bef, Renata Martínez Fonseca and Trino, presented by Laura García

This fun event features the illustrators Elisa Arguilé (Spain), Bef (Mexico), Renata Martínez Fonseca (México) and Trino (Mexico) who accept the challenge of improvising drawings and illustrations, live, creating with their pens, and in open to interaction with the audience. The afternoon will be illustrated with themes from their work, everyday experiences, events of the moment and suggestions by the public. Presented by the writers Laura García.

With the support of Acción Cultural Española

Jardín Guerrero.

Time: 17:00 - 18:00.