An exchange of writers between Bogotá and Medellín promotes local literature.

  • Bogotá and Medellín renew their cultural alliance to promote writer exchanges and develop a joint book.
  • Teams of authors from both cities explore foreign territories to write chronicles reflecting urban life.
  • The result will be published in a free edition of the Libro al Viento project, coordinated by IDARTES.
  • The work will be presented at the 19th Medellín Book and Culture Festival, scheduled for September 2025.

Bogotá-Medellín Writers' Exchange

Urban stories born of exchange

Authors from Bogotá and Medellín during the literary exchange

During the first phase of the program, Andrés Ospina, Claudia Amador and Juan Sebastián Salazar, originally from Bogotá, traveled to Medellín to immerse themselves in the city's daily life. They explored historical, social and cultural aspects, creating chronicles that reflect the experiences of the inhabitants of Paisa from an external and renewed perspective.

For its part, Antioquian writers Gilmer Mesa, Isabel Botero, and Paula Camila Lema They were welcomed in the Colombian capital. In Bogotá, they walked its streets and neighborhoods, seeking to capture stories and sensations unique to the city that were less familiar to them. The result will be a collection of texts that delves into the nuances of both cities, allowing readers to get closer to the intimate pulse of each place.

A book and workshops with an open ending to the public

As an essential part of the exchange, Participants from both cities have developed writing workshops in emblematic spaces such as the San Germán House of Literature in Medellín. These activities encourage creative thinking and facilitate the exchange of experiences between writers and the local community.

The chronicles and experiences arising from this project will be collected and published within the framework of Libro al Viento, a collection promoted by the Bogotá District Institute of the Arts (IDARTES), which distributes free and accessible literature throughout the city. This format ensures that the texts reach a wide audience, promoting reading in diverse urban contexts.

The official presentation of the work will take place in September during the 19th Medellín Book and Culture Festival, which will take place from September 12th to 21st at the Joaquín Antonio Uribe Botanical Garden. With this exhibition, both cities seek to consolidate the value of collaboration and reaffirm their commitment to culture and collective memory through literature.

The experience of the exchange between writers from Bogotá and Medellín highlights the importance of connecting regions to create shared stories and strengthen urban identityThanks to its free publication and its dissemination at a large-scale event, this project is positioned as a model of literary cooperation and promotion that can serve as inspiration for future initiatives in other cities.

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