On May 23 and 24, the Fabra i Coats venue in Barcelona, in the Barcelona neighborhood of Sant Andreu, will host the 12th edition of the Fira Literal, the fair of radical books and ideas, since, for two days, the public will be able to enjoy more than sixty free and open to the public activities and a market of more than five thousand titles from nearly a hundred independent publishers and bookstores.
“We live a time of growing militarization, genocides underway and far-right at the gates of power. A time where cruelty has become ordinary and the future seems kidnapped”, they say from the organization. Given this, they continue, “Literal 2026 vindicates, with Estellés’ verse – We make time, and may time not make us – the capacity and the necessity to intervene: memory as resistance, critical culture as a tool and struggle as the only possible form of hope”.
This year, the program convenes voices of anti-imperialism, anti-fascism and internationalism from all over the world —among others, Álvaro García Linera, Ilan Pappé, Dean Spade, Ash Sarkar and Mariam Barghouti— alongside a broad representation of thinkers, activists and creators from the Catalan Countries and the Spanish state.
The radical book market
The exhibition features a book market that annually brings together a hundred independent publishers and bookstores, who have a large part of their catalog specialized in critical thinking. Around six thousand titles will be exhibited in this market that occupies the streets of the Fabra i Coats venue. It is a space for meeting and community life.
Among the publishers you will find Godall Edicions, Editorial Les Hores, Edicions Salòria, Levanta Fuego, Disbauxa Editorial, Obscura Editorial, Katakrak, Mnemosyne, Editorial Chronos and more. Consult them all here.
On April 23rd, coinciding with Sant Jordi's Day, the Literal Fair made public the complete program of its twelfth edition. Literal articulates its program around a clear diagnosis: we are living a violent reconfiguration of the world order that demands critical thinking, memory, and culture as forms of resistance and intervention.
The programming
The four major conversations of the edition bring together international figures of critical thought and activism. On the one hand, Ilan Pappé, historian and author of The End of Israel, and Mariam Barghouti, Palestinian journalist and researcher residing at the CCCB, will dialogue about colonization, apartheid and genocide and their connection with global militarization (Palestine, mirror of our time, Saturday 23, 13h).
Álvaro García Linera, former vice president of Bolivia and reference thinker of the Latin American left, and Anna Gabriel, jurist and militant of the independentist left, will converse about strategy and possibilities for a new political cycle (Building future in the interregnum, Saturday 23, 17.30h).
Dean Spade, professor and trans activist, and Ira Hybris, transfeminist and communist militant, will analyze the reactionary offensive against dissident bodies and the possibilities of resistance (Queer Communism in a present of struggles, Saturday 23, 12:30h). And Ash Sarkar, editor and co-founder of Novara Media, and Alba Riera, communicator and cultural journalist, will put into dialogue class, identity and media strategy (Adventures in the cultural war, Sunday 24, 16h). All at the Fàbrica de Creació, with simultaneous translation.
Conversations, debates and presentations
The program includes dozens of activities that delve into the themes of the Fair. Among the most notable, a conversation about writing and Palestine with Karim Kattan (Words Under Siege, Saturday 23, 4 PM); the debate on democracy and authoritarianism with David Casassas, Mònica Clua and Santiago López Petit (Debates Catarsi, Saturday 23 and Sunday 24); a panel on cooperativism in the face of economic militarization with the Centre Delàs and COOP57 (War Economy or Solidarity Economy?, Saturday 23, 6 PM); the presentation of Roque Raquel Salas Rivera's book on debt and colonialism in Puerto Rico (The Tertiary, Saturday 23, 1:30 PM); and a debate on the return of religion to public debate with Manuel Delgado and Eudald Espluga (Sunday 24, 1 PM).
Emmanuel Rodríguez will present El final del nostre món (Saturday 23, 5 PM); Amador Fernández-Savater will dialogue about thought and time in capitalism (Sunday 24, 4:45 PM); and Ingrid Guardiola will participate in the presentation of Feminisme gòtic (Saturday 23, 6:45 PM). The anti-Francoist memory will be present through various presentations and tables, among which the conversation about the collective struggles of the end of Francoism (Més enllà del 47, Saturday 23, 12:45 PM) and the presentation of Adelaida, by Adrián N. Bravi, about the horrors of the Argentine dictatorship (Sunday 24, 1:30 PM).
Music, poetry and arts
Literal is also stage and voice. Aziza Brahim and Pilar Sampietro will dialogue about the Mediterranean through poetry and music (Voices of a shared sea, Sunday 24, 3:30 p.m.). Sònia Moll will offer a poetic recital (Sunday 24, 12 p.m.). Roque Raquel Salas Rivera will bring a recital of Lo terciario (Saturday 23, 5:30 p.m.). Calcetes Tradis will close the Fair with a square dance of root music (Sunday 24, 6 p.m.). And l’Horiginal returns to Literal with a special recital (Saturday 23, 12:30 p.m.).
The exhibition Like stones in the palms, embers and flame, inspired by the Palestinian poet Fadwa Tuqan, can be visited both days of the Fair at La Fabra Contemporary Art Centre (floor 2, 11-19h). And the Fair will host the commemoration of the centenary of the birth of Blai Bonet with a recital conversation by Pau Vadell (Sunday 24, 15.30h).
The programming, in addition, includes storytelling, workshops and games for children at Espai Kanalla, among which a collective workshop of colors for Palestine. This year the Literal will also count with Espai Calma, a reading and rest area.
The complete program of Literal is already accessible on the website.
