The port city of Cartagena is preparing to host, one more year, the Days of Black, Detective and Mystery Literature, who in 2025 celebrate their eleventh edition. Between 8 and the September 13, the Ramón Alonso Luzzy Cultural Center will be the epicenter of one of the most prominent black genre festivals on the national scene, an event that, in addition to consolidating itself as a cultural reference, presents a varied and ambitious programming.
Organized with the support of the City Hall of Cartagena, the event has been presented in the Town Hall, where authorities and part of the organizing team have outlined this year's main activities and new features. cartel of this edition is signed by Salvador Martinez, taking as inspiration the figure of the actor Alain Delon, international symbol of the noir genre.
Rosa Ribas, Cartagena Negra Honorary Award 2025
One of the most anticipated moments of the edition will be the tribute to the writer Rosa Ribas, who will receive the Cartagena Negra Honor Award. Ribas, author of such renowned works as The painter from Flanders and creator of the famous curator Cornelia Weber-Tejedor, has contributed a a new look at the crime novel from Spain, first in collaboration with Sabine Hofmann from Germany, and later on his own with his celebrated family detective series.
This recognition seeks to highlight its literary career and its impact on the genre, placing her among the essential names of contemporary crime novels in our country.
Literary awards and short films: highlights of the program
Programming festival is once again betting on the mix of literature, cinema and citizen participationAs usual, the following will be delivered: traditional awards, among which stand out:
- IX Cartagena Negra Award: With Paco Gómez Escribano, Benito Olmo and Carlos Bassas as finalists, who will debate in a round table on September 13 before the winner is announced.
- VII Icue Negro Award: Dedicated to debut authors, with finalists such as Miguel Castro Pereiro, Rosa Huertas, Juan Moreno Lorite and Ernesto Tubía LanderasThe award will be announced after a roundtable discussion on the 9th, and Rosa Ribas herself will participate in the presentation.
- II Philip Marlowe Novel Prize: This year will be for Save Germany for his work Hotel California, which will be presented on the afternoon of September 13.
In the audiovisual section, the IX edition of the short film competition will feature screenings of the finalist works: The Beautiful, Flying, Blind Spot and PredatorOne of these works will be on view each evening at the Luzzy, and on the closing day, the public will have the opportunity to see the winning short again before the awards ceremony.
Meetings with authors, workshops and activities for everyone
Beyond the awards, Black Cartagena stands out for its commitment to literary dissemination and active participationThe festival maintains its collaboration with the Network of Municipal Libraries and organize meetings open to the public with authors such as Rafael Luján, Jorge Díaz, Estela Chocarro and José Ramón Gómez Cabezas From September 9th to 12th, these activities are primarily aimed at the municipality's reading clubs. Registration is now open through the municipal libraries' official website.
El Live short story contest “Leave Your Hat Here” It will be held September 12 at 22:00 p.m. at Mister Witt Café, encouraging attendees to participate without prior registration and putting their creativity to the test in real time.
Social commitment also occupies a prominent place on the agenda. A reading and writing workshop for inmates of the Murcia II Penitentiary Center, an initiative that seeks to bring literature closer to different groups. In addition, French cinema will be present with a special screening of Melody basement, the result of collaboration with the Alliance Française of Cartagena.
Presence of prominent authors and tribute to Murcian crime novels
The listing of guests This year includes names as relevant as Felix G. Modroño, Elia Barceló, Felix Garcia Hernán, Teresa Cardona, Graziella Moreno, Julio Cesar Cano, Mariano Sanchez Soler and Empar Fernandez, among others. All of them will participate in round tables, presentations or meetings with the public, forming a diverse panorama of established and emerging voices in the genre.
Local and regional creation will also be valued, with the participation of authors such as Pedro Marti y Antonio Parra, And a Special tribute to “Mission Istanbul”, pioneering work of José Luis Castillo-Puche recently reissued and considered one of the first modern examples of crime fiction in Spain.
For those who do not want to miss any detail, the complete and updated programming is available on the websites cartagenanegra.com y cultura.cartagena.es, facilitating access to all activities for both residents and visitors.
This festival continues to consolidate itself as a space for meeting, tribute and literary discovery around the noir genre, capturing both tradition and a commitment to the future. With proposals that encompass literature, cinema, workshops and social activities, the festival reaffirms its commitment to bringing culture to the city and the entire Region of Murcia.
