Extremadura is set to become a great forum for literature with the 6th Mario Vargas Llosa Novel Biennial, which will take place from October 22 to 25 with Cáceres as the epicenter and activities in Badajoz and Trujillo. This is the first time the event has crossed the Atlantic and been held outside of America, a move that reinforces the Hispanic-American cultural connection and projects the region onto the international literary map.
The quote is supported by the Extremadura joint and the Vargas Llosa Chair, with a strong emphasis on public participation and the impact on local cultural and economic life. Furthermore, this edition takes on a special character: it will yield a posthumous tribute to Mario Vargas Llosa, with events designed to celebrate his legacy and, at the same time, promote new voices in Spanish-language narrative.
Program and venues
The program, already outlined in the Great Theater of Cáceres, combines tributes, debates, recitals and meetings in theaters, bookstores and libraries, as well as in open spaces. The inauguration will be titled Mario, a fish in water and will bring together readings and testimonies from figures such as Ana Belén, Ángeles Mastretta, Héctor Abad, Manuel Jabois, Magüi Mira, Ayanta Barilli, Juan Cruz, Juan Gabriel Vásquez, Pilar Reyes or Karina Sainz Borgo, with in-person and videoconference interventions from guests such as Aitana Sánchez-Gijón.
The Grand Theatre will also host the main literary dialogues, with well-known figures from the world of cultural thought and journalism: Fernando Savater, Enrique Krauze, Juan Gabriel Vásquez, Juan Manuel de Prada, Marta Fernández, Rubén Amón, Ángeles Mastretta and Juan Luis Cebrián, among others. The aim is to foster a broad and serene conversation about the contemporary novel and its role in the public sphere.
In parallel, the Tatiana Foundation will host the professional cycle of the publishing sector, a space for agents, editors and project managers to analyze trends and challenges in the book chain. At the same time, the Helga de Alvear Visual Arts Center will open the door to performance poetry with proposals by Violeta Gil, Elsa Moreno, Ruiseñora and Juan Carlos Panduro.
The Biennial expands to Badajoz with a historical novel cycle at the Church of Santa Catalina, which will feature authors such as María Reig, Jesús Sánchez Adalid, Fernando Iwasaki and Isabel San Sebastián; and with a concert by the Orchestra of Extremadura at the Congress Palace, with works by Peruvian composer Jimmy López.
Trujillo will host the cycle The Craft of Writing at the Barrantes-Cervantes Palace, in collaboration with Zenda, with the participation of Karina Sainz Borgo, José Carlos Llop, Patricia Soley and Luis Alberto de Cuenca. The program is completed with children's workshops, exhibitions and activities related to Library Day, designed to bring literature closer to all audiences.
Award and finalists
El Mario Vargas Llosa Biennial Novel Prize, with a prize of $100.000, will recognize the best novel published in Spanish in the last two years. The award will be announced on the 25th at the Great Theater of Cáceres, in a closing ceremony that will bring to a close four days of intense literary activity.
The jury, chaired by Juan Manuel Bonet (former director of the Cervantes Institute), selected six finalist works that reflect the thematic and stylistic diversity of Spanish-language narrative. The list combines established careers with strong personalities, highlighting the vitality of the Ibero-American ecosystem:
- Gustavo Faverón (Peru) - Minimosca
- Pola Oloixarac (Argentina) - Bad man
- Ignacio Martinez de Pisón (Spain) - fire castles
- Sergio Ramirez (Nicaragua) — The golden horse
- David Ucles (Spain) - The peninsula of empty houses
- Gioconda Belli (Nicaragua) — A silence full of murmurs
The agenda includes a meeting with the finalists October 22nd and a packed schedule of roundtable discussions and conversations with writers, editors, academics, and readers. As Raúl Tola, director of the Vargas Llosa Chair, emphasized, the purpose of the project is not only to safeguard a legacy, but also promote new generations and expand the international presence of the Spanish-language novel.
At the presentation, the Minister of Culture, Tourism, Youth and Sports, Victoria Bazaga, stressed that the Biennial acts as cultural and economic lever: It boosts the hospitality and retail sectors, increases the region's media visibility, and facilitates public access to contemporary creation. He emphasized that Cáceres strengthens its position as a Hispanic American capital of the word and a natural bridge between Spain and Latin America.
For its part, Álvaro Vargas Llosa He recalled the family ties with Extremadura and recalled his father's participation in the Mérida Classical Theatre Festival with Odysseus and Penelope, a particularly significant memoir in this posthumous edition. Its message underlined a key idea: Latin American literature must continue renewing, avoiding becoming a statue, and the Chair can be a driving force to give visibility and validity to new authors.
The Biennial, held biannually since 2014, consolidates its prestige with a list of winners that includes David Tuscany (2023), Juan Gabriel Vásquez (2021), Rodrigo Blanco Calderón (2019), Carlos Franz (2016) and Juan Bonilla (2014). After their stages in Lima and Guadalajara, the landing in Spain reinforces a Ibero-American vocation that combines tradition and openness to what is to come.
With a combination of tributes, debates, music and workshopsWith a focus on citizen participation, this edition places Extremadura at the center of the Spanish-language literary conversation. The dates, venues, jury, and finalists outline an event that aims to leave its mark on both the cultural agenda and the creative and economic fabric of the region.
