The Three Cultures Foundation of the Mediterranean, in collaboration with the Patronato de la Alhambra and Generalife, is organising 'Mediterranean Letterss', a literary event which will bring together a line-up of prestigious authors from both sides of the Mediterranean for two days in Granada, in a unique venue, the Palace of Charles V.
'Mediterranean Letters' was born with the aim of consolidating its place in the international calendar of literary festivals as an essential space for understanding and reflection on the current panorama of Mediterranean literature. And beyond becoming an unmissable cultural event in this incomparable city, it is, since December 2014, a member of the UNESCO Creative Cities Network in the category of Literature.
This first edition will take place over two days, Friday 13 and Saturday 14 May, featuring the best literature with a Mediterranean stamp, with presentations by authors of the stature of Hisham Matar, Theodor Kallifatides, Tatiana Țîbuleac, Nuccio Ordine, Mohamed El Morabet, María Belmonte and the poetic-musical duo MartayMicó.
Prior to the start, on Friday 13 May at 11.30 a.m., there will be a presentation of the meeting by the director of the Three Cultures Foundation, Concha de Santa Ana Fernández, who will be accompanied by the secretary general for External Action of the Junta de Andalucía, Enric Millo, and the director general of the Patronato de la Alhambra and patron of the Foundation, Rocío Díaz Jiménez.
This will be followed by the first of the sessions, the poetic-musical recital 'First Wills' by the duo MartayMicó and their personal way of combining verse and song.
The format of 'Mediterranean Letters' goes beyond the mere presentation of a book, as the writers' interventions are articulated in conversations through which they address issues that transcend the sphere of literature itself: The transforming capacity of literature on reality and its importance in building a better society, the poetic ideal of the Mediterranean and narrative language as a tool for the construction of one's own identity will be some of the threads that authors and moderators will weave together to give rise to a space for reflection, with the Mediterranean as a meeting place.
The programme configured for this first edition brings together consolidated international authors who need no introduction. Such as Hisham Matar, translated into thirty languages and winner of numerous international literary awards, including the Pulitzer Prize; Theodor Kallifatides, prolific writer and filmmaker of Greek origin, who became one of the literary phenomena with his book 'Another Life to Live', published by Galaxia Gutenberg, winner of the Cálamo "Extraordinary 2019" Prize; or Tatiana Tîbuleac, author of a literary production in Romanian with a very personal style, still brief, but already recognised at the forefront of European literature; with national writers such as Mohamed El Morabet, born in the Moroccan Rif but settled in Spain since his adolescence, who belongs to that small group of young writers of Maghrebi origin who have chosen to create in the language of their adopted country; or María Belmonte, a technical and literary translator by profession, who as a writer expresses her passion for the present and past landscapes of the Mediterranean.
The closure, on Saturday at 18.30, will be given by Nuccio Ordine, a humanist and philosopher internationally recognised for his defence of books, culture and the classics to build a better society.
Admission is free to all events, subject to prior registration and until full capacity is reached. Invitations to attend each of the presentations can be obtained from the Foundation's website: tresculturas.org.
Programme
Friday, 13th May
11.30 h. Presentation and opening poetic-musical recital with MartayMicó
17.00 h. Conversation with Mohamed El Morabet
18.30 h. Conversation with Theodor Kallifatides
Saturday, 14th May
11:00 h. Conversation with María Belmonte
12.30 h. Conversation with Tatiana Țîbuleac
17.00 h. Conversation with Hisham Matar
18.30 h. Closing lecture by Nuccio Ordine. 'In praise of books and human solidarity'.
The literary conference Mediterranean Letters is organised by the Three Cultures Foundation of the Mediterranean with the collaboration of the Patronato de la Alhambra and the Generalife and the "la Caixa" Foundation.
It also has the collaboration of the Andalusian Public Foundation El Legado Andalusí and the participating publishers -Acantilado, Salamandra, Galaxia Gutenberg, Impedimenta- and the Alhambra Bookshop.
