The Hispanic American Literature Festival (FHL) has kicked off its eighth edition in Los Llanos de Aridane. The event, which runs until October 3rd, places Peru at the heart of its program and transforms La Palma into a meeting point for authors, readers, and cultural professionals from Spain and Latin America. The organizers expect to gather around 40 writers, journalists, researchers, and representatives from the cultural sphere —a figure that reflects the festival's growing importance over the years.
During the official presentation, which was attended by municipal, island, and festival officials , the international scope of the event was emphasized. The festival aspires to become a leading event for literature written in Spanish. The mayor of Los Llanos de Aridane, Javier Llamas; the councilor for Culture, Marlene González; the president of the La Palma Island Council, Sergio RodrÃguez; the councilor for Culture, MÃriam Perestelo; the executive president of the FHL (La Palma Literary Festival), JJ Armas Marcelo; and the festival director, Nicolás Melini, participated in the event, which outlined the key features of this year's edition. Peru's presence as the guest country translates into the participation of more than twenty Peruvian writers from different generations.
A program with Peru as its central theme
The festival director, Nicolás Melini, outlined a program that explores contemporary Peruvian literature and its dialogue with some essential figures in the country's literary tradition. Throughout the festival, tributes and activities will be held in honor of authors such as Mario Vargas Llosa, Alfredo Bryce Echenique, Julio Ramón Ribeyro, Blanca Varela, César Vallejo, José MarÃa Arguedas, and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega. This exploration of Peruvian classics is combined with the presence of contemporary voices, creating a bridge between different generations of writers.
One of the most anticipated moments was the opening ceremony, which paid tribute to Blanca Varela on the centenary of her birth . Writer Elsa López and actress Irma Correa gave a recital, accompanied on cello by Cary Rosa Varona, in a day that also included a musical performance by Luis Morera. The organizers thus sought to unite the traditions of La Palma and Peru through music and spoken word.
The opening day also featured Peruvian writers Alonso Cueto, Gustavo Faverón, and Karina Pacheco Medrano , who participated in the event "Welcome to the Island of La Palma" alongside JJ Armas Marcelo. In the following days, the program unfolded with talks, panel discussions, readings, book clubs, presentations, and book signings.
Activities for students, young people and children
The festival's open nature is reflected in a program that extends beyond author talks . The organizers have designed specific activities for schools, young people, and children, aiming to introduce literature to new readers. Marlene González, the Councilor for Culture of Los Llanos de Aridane, and MÃriam Perestelo, the Councilor for Culture of the Island Council, both emphasized this participatory approach, which transforms the municipality into a hub for cultural exchange.
More than 900 students, from the first year of ESO (lower secondary education) to the second year of Bachillerato (upper secondary education), have taken part in the ten events programmed for young people . The students come from Los Llanos de Aridane and other municipalities on La Palma, and have had the opportunity to speak directly with writers and professionals in the field. Among the most noteworthy events are the storytelling sessions with Peruvian writers Katya Adaui and Patricia del RÃo Labarthe , aimed at children between 7 and 9 years old.
For high school students, Luis Hernán Castañeda and Iván Thays led a workshop on the professions of YouTuber, podcaster, and literary blogger. The presence of Peruvian authors also extended to secondary schools, where topics such as the role of palm growers as literary characters, the journalistic profession, and literary translation were addressed. At the José MarÃa Pérez Pulido High School, Elsa López and MarÃa del Mar RodrÃguez Pérez discussed the image of palm growers in literature ; at the Eusebio Barreto High School, MarÃa José Caro, Luis Francisco Palomino, and Carlos Dávalos talked about journalism and shared anecdotes.
Literary translation took center stage in Plaza de España, with Teresa Ruiz Rosas and Monika Zgustova moderated by Francesca Denegri. Meanwhile, Sabas Martin, Jorge Eduardo Benavides, and David Toscana visited the Sagrada Familia de Nazaret School to discuss the writer's life and creative process . The youth program concluded with a second reading of short stories and a meeting with young readers featuring Juan Bonilla, Luis Hernán Castañeda, JeremÃas Gamboa, and Monika Zgustova, moderated by Tina Suárez Rojas.
Vargas Llosa, under political and intellectual scrutiny
Another highlight of this edition was the conversation entitled "Mario Vargas Llosa the Politician ," which brought together former French Prime Minister Manuel Valls and former President of the Government of the Canary Islands, Fernando Fernández MartÃn, moderated by JJ Armas Marcelo. The discussion addressed the political and intellectual trajectory of the Peruvian author and, in particular, the evolution of his thought over the decades, analyzing the tributes and legacy of Mario Vargas Llosa.
Manuel Valls rejected interpreting this trajectory as a simple shift from youthful communism to the far right. In his view, there is a coherence in Vargas Llosa's political thought , although his positions can also be understood as a reaction to what he considered a degradation of public debate. The former French prime minister placed this issue in a broader context and warned of the difficulty of taking a stance in the face of the confrontation between extremes, a dilemma that, he said, arises in both South America and Europe.
Fernando Fernández, for his part, distinguished between the writer's consistency and his political career. He considered Vargas Llosa a politician "full of errors" from his decision to run for President of Peru, although he maintained that there is a coherent line between his thought and a literary work marked by social and political themes. The former president of the Canary Islands cited some of the author's novels to highlight his critical perspective on Peruvian reality and his treatment of problems such as corruption, poverty, lack of culture, and terrorism.
Organization and institutional support
The 8th Hispano-American Literature Festival is organized by the Galdós Order of the island of La Palma and is supported by the Los Llanos de Aridane City Council, the La Palma Island Council, the Government of the Canary Islands, the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), and the Cervantes Institute, as well as other cultural entities. This combined support allows the festival to continue year after year and bring together authors and professionals from different countries and generations in La Palma.
The mayor of Los Llanos de Aridane, Javier Llamas, highlighted the consolidation of the FHL (Latin American Literature Festival) within the municipality's cultural program and its ability to project the town to Latin America. He noted that the festival brings literature to the streets and squares , transforming public spaces into meeting places for writers. The president of the La Palma Island Council, Sergio RodrÃguez, emphasized the international dimension of the event and its role in strengthening La Palma as a bridge between the Canary Islands, Spain, and Latin America.
Sergio RodrÃguez, who recalled his connection to literature through his Philology studies, reiterated the island institution's support for the festival and described it as a demonstration of resilience and commitment to culture, especially necessary for the island. He also highlighted the participation of young people in talks and workshops, one of the distinguishing features of this edition. JJ Armas Marcelo, executive president of the FHL, reaffirmed the festival's history and its mission to establish Los Llanos de Aridane as a leading venue for Spanish-language literature.
The program will continue with new conversations, such as the one between Giacomo Roncagliolo and Ricardo Hernández Bravo about novels and music, in addition to the colloquiums "The Female Character: Writers and Screenwriters" and "The Great Peruvian Novel." Wednesday's events will conclude with the Elsa López Grand Recital , dedicated to César Vallejo, featuring Ricardo Hernández Bravo, Elsa López, Giovanna Pollarolo, Alonso Ruiz Rosas, and Tina Suárez Rojas. With Peru as its central theme and a wide array of authors, the FHL reaffirms its commitment to building cultural networks between Spain and Latin America from La Palma.
This eighth edition combines tributes to the great names of Peruvian literature, encounters with emerging voices, educational activities, and debates on the political and intellectual legacy of Vargas Llosa. The public response, with hundreds of students involved, and the support of Canarian and national institutions confirm that the Hispano-American Literature Festival remains a well-established event open to all audiences in Los Llanos de Aridane.
