After its 11th edition, the Basque literature festival organbized by Barcelona’s Euskal Etxea is very happy with the result of the past few days. “We had many activities, the quality was better and very well-received. There were more attendees than ever,” Ekaitz Garate, club cultural technician told EuskalKultura.com. Among the most notable were the literary talks between writers Bernardo Atxaga and Galician Manuel Rivals, and the audiovisual reading of the comic Black is Beltza by Fermin Muguruza.
Barcelona, Catalonia. Literaldia 2015 concluded on May 9 leaving a great taste in the mouths of its organizers and guests. Euskal Etxea in Barcelona stated that the Basque literature festival not only succeeded in gathering Basques residing in the city, but also a large Catalan following. “It is more difficult than at Euskal Herria Sona, for example, because this is about Basque literature, and not music. But we have found new formulas, and we have tried to offer something more, and the people responded,” Ekaitz Garate, cultural technician at the club told EuskalKultura.com.
The Literaldia program has mixed literature with other activities like music, and audiovisuals. “We have tried to offer something more than a simple presentation. Like, for example, Gosariak, a concert by Gose with texts by Joseba Sarrionandia.” Another memorable moment was the illustrated reading of the comic Black is Beltza with Fermin Muguruza. “A video of the comic was shown while listening to music and songs selected by Fermin Muguruza that appeared in the comic. It was special and it was full. Afterwards, Fermin Muguruza talked about the graphic novel.”
Another highlight was the dialogue between two big names in Basque and Galician Literature, Bernardo Atxaga and Manuel Rivas. “We knew that it was going to be popular, and we had two talks outside of the clubhouse, at the Autonomous University in Barcelona (UAB) and the Esquerra Library,” Garate said.