The FIP reaches its 22nd edition, becoming the largest literary festival in southern Europe

15 abril

From May 4th to 9th, the 22nd edition of the Granada International Festival of Poetry (FIP) brings together renowned and widely acclaimed figures from the national and international literary scenes. The program boasts a strong multicultural outlook, embracing various artistic disciplines united by a shared poetic vision.

Hosting authors from twelve countries in Europe, America, and the Middle East, the festival has expanded both its duration and its programming. This year’s lineup offers poetry readings, panel discussions, workshops, and stage performances in iconic venues throughout the city and province, reinforcing its open, interdisciplinary nature and its steadfast commitment to cultural outreach and making poetry accessible to all.

Marifrán Carazo, the Mayor of Granada, described the 22nd edition of the Granada International Festival of Poetry as “one of Europe’s great cultural milestones, capable of placing our city at the heart of international literary dialogue. It represents excellence, diversity, and Granada’s capacity to create spaces where cultures, disciplines, and generations meet, projecting an image of an open, creative city deeply committed to culture.” She also emphasised that this event “reinforces the positioning of Granada as a cultural reference and endorses the continuous work we are developing to reach the European Cultural Capital in 2031”.

Carazo highlighted that the city “is firmly committed to a quality, accessible and transformative culture, and this poetry festival is a clear example of that institutional commitment, involving all the city’s key stakeholders.'”

The institutional support was welcomed by the co-director of the FIP, Remedios Sánchez, alongside several key figures who attended the program’s launch. These included the Government Sub-delegate, José Antonio Montilla; the Delegate of the Regional Government of Andalusia in Granada, Antonio Granados; and the Provincial Deputy for Culture, Pilar Caracuel. Among other representatives from prominent institutions such as the University of Granada, the Council of the Alhambra, and the Caja Rural Granada Foundation.

“With literature at its core, Granada breathes diversity and heterodoxy, a multicultural inspiration that creates an immense wealth connecting the past with the future,” noted Sánchez. This year’s FIP gathers several of the most influential voices in the contemporary literary world, encouraging a dialogue that traverses both generations and geographies. It is an ambitious program in which figures such as Luis Alberto de Cuenca, National Poetry Prize and Reina Sofía Prize for Ibero-American Poetry; Alejandro G. Roemmers, Gustavo Adolfo Bécquer International Prize; Olvido García-Valdés, also recognized with the Reina Sofía; Raquel Lanseros, Tomás Sánchez Santiago and Ángeles Mora, National Critics’ Awards; José María Merino, Cervantes Prize; David Uclés, Nadal Novel Prize; Mónica Rodríguez, Alfredo Gómez-Cerdá and César Mallorquí, National Prizes for Children’s and Youth Literature; together with the American poet Billy Collins and the Romanian writer Mircea Cărtărescu, Formentor de las Letras Prize.

Music will be integrated as a way of poetic resonance, expanding the horizons of the word. The program will be attended by the singer Ángeles Toledano; the singer Clara Montes, whose career has been deeply linked to the work of Antonio Gala; Soleá Morente and Antonio Arias, who will propose a talk-concert around the 20th anniversary of the emblematic album ‘Omega‘; and, as a closing, Carmen Linares and Jorge Pardo, indisputable references and winners of the Princess of Asturias Prize and the National Music Prize, respectively, set to headline the closing of the FIP with a special homage to Saint John of the Cross.

The Delegate of the Junta de Andalucía, Antonio Granados, has encouraged citizens to participate, approach poetry, and enjoy a program of exceptional quality and diversity. He noted that ‘initiatives like this remind us of the importance of culture as an element of social cohesion, a tool for reflection, and a bridge between different sensibilities and generations.”.

Taking a similiar view, the Sub-delegate of the Spanish Government, José Antonio Montilla, expressed his gratitude and praise for the Festival’s directors. He defined the event as ‘top-tier,’ highlighting its “significant 22-year trajectory and a unique identity and commitment to the defense of freedoms that extends far beyond the Festival itself “.

For Montilla, in this edition interculturality, the blend of music and poetry, the participation of consolidated and emerging figures, and the promotion of linguistic diversity establish the FIP a benchmark in the field of the promotion of letters”. For these reasons, the festival receives the explicit support of the Ministry of Culture and Sport

Voices from twelve countries

This year, the FIP, which has officially voiced its support for Granada’s bid for European Capital of Culture 2031 is expanding its program to five days. This extension accommodates an extensive range of poetry recitals, writing workshops, encounters, and debates that will take place in different spaces of the city and the province, consolidating itself as the most relevant literary festival in southern Europe and one of the most popular at the international level.

In addition to the Romanian writer Mircea Cărtărescu, a reference of avant-garde European literature, who will perform a poetry recital with Billy Collins, ‘Poet Laureate of the United States’, authors from twelve countries have confirmed their participation. This establishes the festival as a premier meeting point for diverse literary currents spanning Europe, the Americas, and the Middle East.

Among the guests are the Argentine authors Ana María Shúa, Boris Rozas and Rodrigo Fresán; the Mexicans Jorge Valdés Díaz-Vélez, Daniel López Acuña and Jorge Fernández Granados; the Romanians Ioana Nicolaie and Corina Oproae; the Iraqis Mohamed al-Amin and Hatif Janabi; the Egyptians Ahmad al Shahawy and Sara Hamid Hawass; the Lebanese Violette Abou Jalad; the Nicaraguan William González; the Uruguayan Carolina Zamudio; the Venezuelan Karina Sáinz-Borgo; and the Cuban María López-Vigil.

A plural program open to all audiences

The Granada Poetry Festival is distinguished by programming activities aimed at all audiences, including workshops whose main objective is to bring poetry closer to the youngest, recalled the co-director and founder of the FIP, Daniel Rodríguez Moya.

The inaugural day opens at the Faculty of Education Sciences with a dialogue between the poet Luis Alberto de Cuenca and the writer Alejandro G. Roemmers. The event commemorates the 5th Centenary of the historic meeting at the Alhambra between Renaissance poets Juan Boscán and Andrea Navagiero, a moment widely regarded as the origin of the sonnet’s introduction into Spanish poetry. In the afternoon, at the Huerta de San Vicente, the institutional event will be held that will include a tribute to Federico García Lorca by the singer Ángeles Toledano, as well as a poetic recital by Olvido García-Valdés and a dialogue with the Argentine author Ana María Shúa. As part of the inaugural program, the public will be able to enjoy a live interview with actress Macarena Gómez, hosted by the journalist and writer Carla de La Lá.

Other highlights include an encounter with Cervantes Prize winner José María Merino and a poetry recital featuring Tomás Sánchez Santiago and Ángeles Mora, among other authors. The program also features the presentation of David Uclés’s new novel, La ciudad de las luces muertas (The City of Dead Lights), and a conversation with writer Espido Freire regarding the legacy of Mary Shelley.

The closing ceremony at the Palace of Carlos V will focus on the figure of San Juan de la Cruz in his jubilee year, with a tribute by Raquel Lanseros and Carlos Aganzo together with the dancer and choreographer Mónica de la Fuente. The voice of Carmen Linares and the saxophone of Jorge Pardo will give life to fragments of the ‘Cántico espiritual’ by the quintessential mystic poet.

Along with the national authors already highlighted for their career and awards, the festival incorporates a roster of writers who contribute other perspectives, including Eloy Moreno, Lucía Solla Sobral, Rafael Soler, Antonio Praena, Dolores Redondo and María Dueñas, among others.

The FIP recovers Philosophy and Letters and extends to the six regions of the province

The festival will take place in emblematic spaces of the city such as the Palace of Carlos V in the Alhambra, the Federico García Lorca Center, Huerta de San Vicente, Espacio V Centenario of the University of Granada or the Provincial Public Library. As a new development this year, the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters rejoins the festival’s venues. Furthermore, the program’s presence across the province has been strengthened through the support of the Diputación de Granada. Featuring activities across all six regions. This outreach includes municipalities such as Fuentevaqueros, Alfacar, Víznar, Valderrubio, Almuñécar, Monachil, Pinos Puente, Huétor Vega, La Zubia, Salar, Órgiva, Puebla de Don Fadrique, Iznalloz, Guadix, and Albolote.

Pilar Caracuel, the Provincial Deputy for Culture, highlighted the long-standing partnership between the Provincial Council and the FIP. She pointed out that ‘this year marks the start of a new initiative connecting culture and education to promote reading habits. By organizing meetings with authors in schools, we are bringing literature closer to students, particularly those in rural communities.

On the other hand, Miguel Carrera, Miguel Carrera, Coordinator of the Literature Area at the UGR, emphasized that ‘in this year, as the University of Granada celebrates its 500th anniversary and with the bid for European Capital of Culture on the horizon, La Madraza and the Vice-Rectorate for University Extension continue to stand firmly behind the International Festival of Poetry.’ ‘University extension’ is about promoting initiatives that go beyond the strictly academic. It also speaks to ‘heritage’: in a city as literary as Granada, poetry is an intrinsic part of our cultural heritage. This educational mission is shared by the Provincial Council, which aims to bring students closer to literature through encounters with authors who have received the National Prize for Children’s and Young Adult Literature.”

The 22nd edition of the FIP has the support of institutions, companies and groups such as the City Council of Granada, the Junta de Andalucía, the Ministry of Culture, the Diputación de Granada, the Caja Rural Foundation, the University of Granada, the Patronato de la Alhambra y Generalife, the municipalities of Almuñécar, La Zubia, Pinos Puente and Monachil; GEGSA, General de Galerías Comerciales (Nevada Shopping) and the Association of Friends of the Alhambra.

The poster for this edition has been created by Estudio PerroRaro from a painting / illustration by the plastic artist Eva Rodríguez Góngora.