He Central America Festival It has been consolidated as a space for convergence between writers, academics and artists. From narrators to essayists, the festival gives readers the possibility of dialogue with Guatemalan and foreign authors, as well as participating in multiple cultural activities.
According to the organizers, more than 60 personalities will attend to share with their readers and the general public. Among the guest national authors are Arnoldo Gálvez Suárez, Carmen Lucía Alvarado, Gloria Hernández, Marcos Antil and Negma Coy. International writers will also participate as Gioconda Belli (Nicaragua), Elena Salamanca (El Salvador) and Rodrigo Soto (Costa Rica).
Likewise, there will be special guests such as the Spanish singer -songwriter Joan Manuel SerratMexican journalist Carmen Aristegui and Cuban singer Haydée Milanés, among other national and international figures.
This edition of the Festival will pay tribute to the Guatemalan writer Miguel Ángel Asturias, Nobel Prize for Literature 1967recognized by works such as Mr. President, Corn men and Legends of Guatemala.
When will the Central America festival be held?
The festival will be developed from May 19 to 24, 2025 in three venues: Guatemala City, Comalapa (Chimaltenango) and Totonicapán. It is one of the most relevant literary celebrations in the region. It was founded by the Nicaraguan writer Sergio Ramírez with the aim of projecting and disseminating literature from Central America.
The inaugural activity will take place On Tuesday, May 20 at the Lux Theater, zone 1 capital, from 5:45 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.. In this ceremony the legacy of Miguel Ángel Asturias will be delivered to the box of the letters of the Cervantes Institute, and will be announced to the winner of the 2025 story cover award.
Philippe Hunziker, member of the Festival Advisory Council and General Manager of Sofos, indicated that all activities will be free, subject to the capacity of available. Most will be held at the Lux Theater and the National Palace of Culture.
“It is a huge privilege to collaborate with the realization of the festival. It fills me with illusion and pride that we can host various personalities from the world of letters and politics. It is important that this event happens in Guatemala at this time, because I consider that the eyes of the world are put in The critical context of our region“Hunziker said.
During the closing of the festival, Bernardo Arévalo, president of Guatemala, He will talk with Pepa Gooddirector of the Spanish newspaper The country. This conversation will be held on Saturday, May 24.
What implies the return of Central America tells Guatemala?
During the official launch, Claudia Neira Bermúdez, director of the festival, He explained that the return to Guatemala symbolizes a support for democratic values at a crucial time for the country. He added that culture, thought and constructive dialogue are fundamental pillars to defend and strengthen these values.
For his part, Liwy Grazioso, Minister of Culture and Sports, stressed that EThis type of initiatives encourages spaces for new generations to develop critical thinking and cultural identity.
Outstanding activities of the Central America Festival Account
During the festival, various activities aimed at varied audiences will be carried out. National and international authors will participate, as well as specialists from other disciplines. Among the scheduled activities are:
- Conversations: Dialogues between authors on issues related to their works and literary relevance.
- Training: Workshops on different literary and journalistic genres.
- Academic activities: Visits to universities and educational centers to promote dialogue with students.
- Film forums: Projection of films inspired by literary works or themes related to the festival.
- Central America: Stories about the cities of the festival, written by participating authors and published in allied media.
- Central America accounts: Test series focused on problems and realities of Central America and the Caribbean.
- Children’s activities: Workshops and meetings with writers and illustrators who address literature for children and young people.
Central America and Central America Account
The Central America Festival has two parallel editorial projects: Central America and the Central America Accounts.
The first consists of A series of literary chronicles made by guest writers, who portray places and emblematic characters of the city host of the festival. These chronicles are made together with an assigned photographer, and their dissemination is made through the official festival site and allied media.
For its part, Central America accounts is an initiative focused on the analysis of the contemporary reality of the isthmus. This project covers ten issues considered fundamental, on which specialists from different disciplines expose their vision, with the objective of promoting spaces for dialogue and reflection on the challenges facing the region.
Why attend?
Hunziker reiterated that it is a singular literary celebration for the amount of personalities of the literary and political field that will be present at the events. “I urged the Guatemalans to approach the activities that will take place at the Lux Theater and the National Palace of Culture. They are completely free to complete capacity, ”he concluded.
To know the complete agenda of the event, you can visit the official site of the Central America Festival.