In October, Getafe is full of crows. Not literally, but through the posters advertising the crime literature festival Getafe Negro. This year celebrates its 18th edition, so many neighbors are already accustomed to seeing this symbol and know what it means: round tables, conferences, live radio, theater, cinema, exhibitions, book clubs and workshops around the noir genre.
From October 18 to 26, this municipality south of Madrid will hold more than 60 activities to bring culture to all audiences. More than 80 national and international authors will participate, such as the Dutch Thomas Olde Heuvelt, who surprised Stephen King with his work. Also noteworthy are Clara Usón, Carlos Zanón, Susana Martín Gijón, Manu Marlasca, Luis Rendueles, Silvia Intxaurrondo, Concha Calleja and Albas Quintas, among others.
The epicenter will be the Espacio Mercado, a hall located in the heart of Getafe, in the Plaza de la Constitución, in front of the City Hall. Other events will be held in libraries and bookstores in Madrid and spaces such as the Fundación Mutua Madriñea or Cines Renoir Princesa.
Anniversaries all over Europe
This year, Getafe Negro will have the Scandinavian countries very present and will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the famous Millenniumtrilogy , by the Swedish writer and journalist Stieg Larsson. The saga was a great publishing and audiovisual phenomenon and will reflect on the rise of the thriller.
To commemorate the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the festival will feature French writer and screenwriter Olivier Norek, who will present his latest novel, The Winter Warriors, a story about Finland’s most lethal sniper in World War II. He will also talk about eco-thrillers, crime novels and historical novels at a meeting at the French Institute of Spain.
In the case of Spain, “Matute Noir” will commemorate the centenary of the birth of Ana María Matute, in an event that will bring together two Nadal winners, Ana Merino and Manuel Vilas, and the author Noemí Trujillo.
Noir in every sense
Getafe Negro explores noir in all its facets and in its hybridization with other genres and arts. Its program is increasingly broad, with talks and activities on historical noir, urban and supernatural thrillers, Nazi crime or rural noir. There will even be a comparison between white literature and noir novels by Pablo d’Ors, the writer and theologian grandson of Eugenio d’Ors.
Current issues such as artificial intelligence or the limits of true crime will be discussed. And the threat of sects will be present through a round table and the screening of Midsommar at the Renoir Princesa Cinemas.
Fantasy and young audiences
In this edition, the festival will devote a “more special and specialized attention” to children, young people and teenagers, as Maica Rivera, director of the festival, explained in the presentation to the media. To this end, the number of seats reserved for high school students has been doubled and there will be specific activities for children, such as family gymkhanas and storytelling.
Classic juvenile adventure sagas will return, such as The Breakfast Club, which celebrates its 40th anniversary. And, in the field of fantasy, there will be meetings and podcasts about The Chronicles of Narnia, the story by C.S. Lewis that celebrates 75 years since its beginning.
Another great protagonist will be Thomas Olde Heuvelt, the Dutch author who surprised Stephen King with his novel HEX and recognized by the Hugo Award, one of the most prestigious in science fiction and fantasy. In Getafe Negro he will present his new work, Oráculo, a supernatural thriller that will give rise to meetings on this genre and its narrative techniques.