Piedad Bonnett, Héctor Abad Faciolince, and Fernando León de Aranoa lead a new edition of Marpoética

Marbella will once again be the epicenter of poetry for a week in April with Marpoética. From April 9 to 18, the ninth edition will gather some of the most relevant voices in contemporary literature, starting with Piedad Bonnett, who will be in charge of the opening, and ending with Héctor Abad Faciolince, who will feature in the closing. Between the two, about thirty authors will participate, including a talk by filmmaker Fernando León de Aranoa.

Marpoética will combine literary dialogues, recitals, theater, concerts, and educational activities, with experiences that bring words, rhythm, and meter beyond the usual cultural frameworks to place them in direct contact with the city, nature, and the sea. The General Director of Culture, Carmen Díaz, highlighted the international dimension of the event and its dialogue with Latin America. "This year, that bridge has a protagonist country: Colombia, whose literature has reflected for decades on profound issues such as memory, mourning, violence, or reconciliation," Díaz noted.

Thus, the festival will open with Colombian poet, writer, and playwright Piedad Bonnett. Awarded the Queen Sofia Ibero-American Poetry Prize in 2024, the author of 'Lo que no tiene nombre' will inaugurate the ninth edition of Marpoética on April 9 at 8:00 PM at the Teatro Ciudad de Marbella, in a conversation with the poet and literary director of the festival, Javier Vicedo.

Expand

The closing, on the same stage and at the same time, on Saturday, April 18, will be led by Colombian writer Héctor Abad Faciolince, author of 'El olvido que seremos', a fundamental work on memory and reconciliation. Abad will close the festival in conversation with poet and cultural journalist Antonio Lucas.

Between them, Colombian poet and photographer Lina Botero, representative of a new generation of Latin American authors, will also participate. Botero will coordinate a free writing workshop at the Central Library Fernando Alcalá Marín in this edition. Music will also accompany key moments of the event. After the conversation with Piedad Bonnett, La Tania, Goya Award winner for Best Original Song in 2025 for 'Los almendros' alongside C. Tangana, will perform. The closing will feature a concert by Mayte Martín, one of the great figures of singing.

In the 'Dialogues' section, a direct encounter between creators and the public, participants will include writer Juan Manuel de Prada (Monday, April 13), who will discuss the books that have marked his life as a reader; writer Marta Jiménez Serrano (Tuesday, April 14), author of 'Oxígeno' and one of the most followed young voices in the current literary scene; and filmmaker Fernando León de Aranoa (Thursday, April 16), who will address the literary dimension of his films and the relationships between cinema and writing. The meetings, moderated by Vicedo, will be held at the Hospital Real de la Misericordia.

As a novelty, Marpoética will enhance citizen participation with an open microphone that will be installed at the doors of the Hospital Real de la Misericordia and will precede the 'Dialogues' with Juan Manuel de Prada and Marta Jiménez Serrano. The initiative invites readers and enthusiasts to share their own verses or those of admired authors.

Taking poetry beyond traditional cultural spaces is one of the distinctive hallmarks of Marpoética. "It's not just a festival of readings. It's a festival of experiences," Díaz noted. Among the most unique initiatives are poetic recitals aboard a catamaran. The 'Faenando Versos' series will turn the Mediterranean into a literary stage while the vessel sails along the coast of Marbella. The journeys will depart from the Sports Port on Sunday, April 12 with Erika Martínez and Elsa Moreno, and on Saturday, April 18 with Agustín Pérez Leal and the young poet from Marbella, Samuel Díaz Castañeda.

Poetry will also ascend the mountain with the 'Poetic Trail' guided by writer Andrés Neuman, on April 11 in the Sierra de Marbella. And the verses will also reach the Costa del Sol Hospital, where Basilio Sánchez and Agustín Pérez Leal will offer brief readings in various areas of the health center.

This edition will incorporate performative recitals that explore new forms of reading and staging of contemporary poetry. The current National Poetry Prize winner Miriam Reyes will present a multimedia show based on her poetry book 'Con' (April 15 at 8:00 PM at the Hospital Real de la Misericordia). This proposal is joined by 'Cortar pescado en Manila', the scenic montage by Miguel and Andrés Monteavaro (April 17 at 8:30 PM at the Museum of Spanish Contemporary Engraving).

There is also space for the poetic recital in its most essential form, with the voice and the poem as protagonists. On the same day, Friday, the Hospital Real de la Misericordia will host at 7:00 PM a joint reading by Yolanda Castaño, National Poetry Prize 2023, and Gerardo Rodríguez Salas, winner of the Marpoética Poetry Prize 2025. The program will also include a recital by writer Juana Dolores on Wednesday, April 15 at 6:30 PM at the Delibros Bookstore.

Poetry will once again meet the stage in the fourth edition of 'Poetry on its Feet', the theatrical cycle of Marpoética. The Teatro Ciudad de Marbella will host 'Viva!', by the Franco-Spanish company La Loquace Compagnie, suitable for ages twelve and up. In the halls of the Museum of Engraving, 'Sewing and Telling', a piece of object theater by Irene Maquieira, will be performed, bringing sewing tools to life. The lineup is completed with 'Re.cuerda', a circus and skill proposal focused on the diabolo that can be enjoyed on Avenida del Mar by Luichi Leal.

Participation in some festival experiences—such as the Poetic Trail, the catamaran routes of the Faenando Versos cycle, or the writing workshop with Lina Botero—will require prior registration through a form available on the festival's website. To attend the performances of the theatrical cycle Poetry on its Feet, it will be necessary to pick up an invitation, which will be distributed on a first-come, first-served basis until full capacity is reached.