For ten days, Santiago’s Praza da Quintana will be transformed into the epicenter of Galician literature thanks to the eighth edition of Compostela Book Week (SELIC) and its Book Festival, from June 7 to 16. The event will host some twenty exhibitors, including bookstores, publishers and institutions, and will offer more than 60 activities.

Thus, SELIC advances steadily towards its goal of becoming the literary event of reference in Galicia. This year’s edition promises to be the most international in its history, with the presence of renowned literary figures such as the Irishman John Banville and the Palestinian Adania Shibli.

However, this does not change the fact that the Book Festival has prepared a wide representation of Galician literature, with authors such as Leo de Matamá, Rosa Aneiros, Afra Torrado, Fernández Naval and Eva Veiga.

Criminal literature as a protagonist

The SELIC Criminal section returns for the second consecutive year with the mission to reflect on the noir genre in depth, with activities that will focus on the criminal from June 13 to 15.

One of them will be the meeting ‘Festivais Negros’, with representatives of different events of this thematic as Javier Rivero (Tenerife Noir), Javier Sánchez Zapatero (Congress of novel and black cinema of Salamanca) or Miguel Barrero (Black Week of Xixón).

Another highlight of this edition will be the celebration of the fortieth anniversary of ‘Crime en Compostela’. This novel, winner of the first edition of the Xerais Prize, is a pillar of the detective genre in Galician literature. Carlos Reigosa ‘s work has been honored in the SELIC poster, which shows the pistol used in the novel. In addition, discussions and guided walks through the book’s settings will be organized, with the participation of the author himself and other experts.

There will also be several round tables on fictional detectives, comics or criminal tattoos. Authors such as Rosa Ribas, Sara Vila and João Tordo will also be part of this section, which will conclude with the show ‘Crime en carpaccio’, by Simone Negrin.

Compostela on foot

SELIC will offer 12 themed walks to discover Santiago from new perspectives. In addition to the successful tours of previous editions, there are new dramatized routes through the play ‘Doentes’ by Vidal Bolaño, guided by local actors and actresses. There will also be walks dedicated to the theatrical stages of the city, the feminist traces and the stories and characters of the ‘Baralla de Compostela’.

Music and poetry will have a prominent place in the program, with performances by Leo de Matamá, F.X. Fernández Naval, Eva Veiga and many more. The Carlos Casares Foundation will also contribute with several recitals, merging literature and other arts.

SELIC is shaping up to be an essential literary event in Galicia. You can check the complete program at the following link.