The 33rd Feria del Libro runs from 14 to 18 October, with 32 stalls and a programme featuring Sergio del Molino. School visits and children’s events are also scheduled.
Thirty-two stalls are set up at Plaza Juan XXIII for Cartagena’s 33rd Feria del Libro, open from 14 to 18 October. Bookshops and publishers have space there, alongside book-related projects. The fair runs under the slogan “Comienza una nueva historia”, or “A new story begins”.
Its opening address began at 19:00 on Wednesday 14 October. Sergio del Molino, a writer and journalist born in Madrid in 1979, spoke about his interest in Phoenician heritage in a speech titled “Vivan los fenicios”. Cartagena Actualidad reported that he described literature and the book trade as meeting points that can transcend divisions.
Del Molino is known for La España vacía and La hora violeta. His book Los alemanes also explores memory, identity and changes in Spanish society. He spoke about Cartagena’s Premio Mandarache.
The programme covers fiction and poetry, with separate sessions devoted to history. Journalism and youth literature are also on the schedule.
Friday 16 October begins with Isabel San Sebastián at 18:00. Journalist and communicator Nerea Pérez de las Heras follows at 19:00 with Fantasma. Alejandro Palomas closes the evening at 20:30.
Palomas’s novels include Una madre and Un perro. His 2018 Premio Nadal-winning book is Un amor, and his latest is Casa.
On Thursday, journalist Miguel Ángel Ruiz presents Misses y medusas, about the Mar Menor crises and attempts to restore the lagoon. Marta Jiménez Serrano discusses Oxígeno at 19:00. Rayden presents El ciego que describía el mundo at 20:00. The meetings are scheduled to include presentations and signings. Free workshops for children are also on the programme.
Local voices get a place, too.
Cartagena-born poet and philologist Pablo Velasco Baleriola is scheduled for Saturday 17 October at 17:30. His work includes Wallpaper and Patchwork. He has also published Carne triste.
At 20:00, writer and cultural communicator Fernando Bonete presents La hija del Fénix.
Saturday’s family show, LILIBÚ, starts at 11:00. Children’s workshops run from 17:00 to 20:00, and Carlota Pérez Reverte’s theatre work Perdona si te mato amor is scheduled for 18:30.
School visits for fourth-year primary pupils are set for Thursday and Friday, from 10:00 to 14:00. The new edition of the Premios Mandarache y Hache 2027 will be presented on Friday at 10:30.
Sunday’s author meetings start with Ana Alemany at 11:00. Food writer and creator Alma Obregón follows at noon. Rebeca Stones, whose YouTube channel has more than 900,000 followers, is scheduled for 13:00.
The fair closes at 14:00 on Sunday. On opening day, it was open until 21:00; Thursday, Friday and Saturday hours run from 10:00 to 22:00. Barcelona’s Mixtur festival is also on October’s arts calendar, running from 15 to 25 October.
The fair site has areas for children and signings. Booksellers and publishers have dedicated spaces, as do associations and municipal libraries. UNICEF will take part with «Lápices y Vacunas», an initiative linking children’s education and health.
Cartagena City Council is organising the event with support from the Government of the Region of Murcia. La Verdad is also supporting the fair. Free children’s workshops and school activities are part of the five-day programme.
