Arequipa well known as the “The White City” is the scenery to pay tribute to the Peruvian Nobel Prize Mario Vargas LLosa, during the 2025 Hay Festival Arequipa which will be held for three days during November 6th till 9th this year.
Arequipa is the birthplace of the author of "Conversation in the Cathedral", who was born on the slopes of the Misti volcano on March 28, 1936 and after a prolific literary career that made him the most representative of Peruvian literature living between Spain and Peru, he died at the age of 89, on April 13, 2025, in his apartment in the bohemian district of Barranco in the capital city of Lima.
The program of the Hay Festival Arequipa 2025 include a series of discussion panels bringing together renowned authors such as Hector Abad Faciolince, Carlos Granes, Patricia del Rio, Alonso Cueto, and Juan Gabriel Vasquez, among others.
The literary program will also feature a strong international lineup. Hector Abad Faciolince will present his deeply personal and reflective work “Ahora y en la hora” (Now and at the hour); Guillermo Arriaga will showcase “El hombre” (The Man); Pilar Quintana will introduce “Noche negra” (Black Night); Juan Gabriel Vasquez will discuss “Los nombres de Feliza” (The Names of Feliza); and Alberto Fuguet will celebrate the reissue of key titles from his literary career.
They will be joined by Fernanda Trias, Salma El Moumni, Jessica Andrews, Mathilde Forget, and Ricardo Raphael, among other authors who complete a diverse and compelling lineup.
Peruvian authors will also have a central role in this edition. Jeremias Gamboa will present “El principio del mundo” (The Beginning of the World); Patricia del Rio, “Jauria” (Pack); and Gustavo Rodriguez, “Mamita” (Mommy), his most personal novel to date.
They will be joined by Zoila Vega Salvatierra, Sonia Cunliffe, Enrique Planas, Olga Montero Rose, Maria Luisa del Rio, Teresa Ruiz Rosas, Carlos Enrique Freyre, and Enmanuel Grau, along with other prominent voices in Peruvian literature and poetry.
Among the highlights of this edition are the Reading Clubs, intimate sessions led by Omar Zevallos, where readers will have the chance to engage directly with authors such as Andres Barba and Alejandra Moffat about their most recent works.
The festival will also host conversations on archives, memory, and independent publishing, featuring Esther Cruces, Carlos Chavez, and Jorge Lossio.
A new edition of Talento Editorial: Edicion will take place, where Olenka Soto Cardenas and Alexandra Paredes will share their experiences as independent publishers.
As part of the Literary Couples series organized by the Hay Festival and the British Council, British author Michael Magee and Peruvian novelist Jeremias Gamboa will take part in a dialogue on their respective narratives, a conversation they will reprise at the Hay Festival Hay-on-Wye 2026 in the United Kingdom.
The Cuadernos Hispanoamericanos talks will promote dialogue and exchange among writers from different generations and nationalities united by a common language: Spanish. This year’s session will feature Spanish author Andrés Barba and Uruguayan writer Fernanda Trias.
There will also be poetry readings with the participation of Jose Aburto, Jessica Andrews, and six young poets: Vanessa Begazo, Esteban Couto, Moises Jiménez, Maritza Mejia, Heiner Valdivia, and Majo Villegas.
As for the thematic panels, several unique perspectives will be explored:
On diaries, one of literature’s most overlooked genres, Hector Abad Faciolince and Alonso Cueto will share their reflections.
On B movies and literature, Alberto Fuguet and Dany Salvatierra will lead the discussion.
On the darkness within the everyday, Andrés Barba, Michael Magee, and Pilar Quintana will exchange ideas.
And on inhospitable landscapes, Alejandra Moffat and Dany Salvatierra will engage in conversation.
(END) CFS / JMP / MDV
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Published: 10/23/2025