The Community of Madrid will present a significant cultural offering at its pavilion for the 85th edition of the Madrid Book Fair. The event will take place in El Retiro Park between May 29 and June 14, under the theme 'Reading and Laughing: Two Ways to Resist'. The program includes renowned authors such as Paloma Sánchez-Garnica, Lorenzo Silva, and Javier Sierra, alongside illustrator Mauro Entrialgo. The schedule will feature literary encounters, round tables, recitals, and workshops.
The regional Executive's space, located on Paseo de Coches, will focus on humor, reading, and critical thinking. It includes school-oriented proposals to introduce literature to students of various levels, as well as family activities planned for weekends.
One of the central events will be an encounter, in collaboration with the Embassy of the United States, focusing on the Spanish presence during the American War of Independence, coinciding with the 250th anniversary of this historical episode.
Laughter and satire will play a central role. The pavilion will host discussions such as 'A Sandwich a Day: Current Humor', dedicated to political satire, and 'What Are You Laughing At?; From Meme to Book', exploring how new digital codes influence contemporary cultural creation. 'From Humorism to Post-Humor', analyzing the transformation of satire in Spain, will also be presented, along with the fifth edition of 'Authors Among Readers', a cycle designed for direct interaction between writers and the public.
The program will be complemented by activities linked to the Getafe Negro festival, talks on fantastic literature and historical dissemination, as well as initiatives aimed at promoting reading, entertainment, and artistic sensitivity. In addition to the previously mentioned authors, participants will include Adela por Dios, Jaume Capdevila, Riki Blanco, Agustina Guerrero, Raquel Riba Rossy, Darío Adanti, Xavi Puig, and Bernard Castany, among others.
School and family audiences will have their own space, featuring the theatrical performance 'With the Eyes of a Poet', dedicated to Antonio Machado, designed to introduce poetry to Primary School students. Weekends will be particularly active with family workshops and participatory recitals. Additionally, a chess demonstration and simultaneous game led by Spanish champion Laura Collado Barbas will take place.
The regional Government will share a stand for selling institutional publications with the Madrid City Council. In the previous edition, route guides, hiking, and cartography of the Community of Madrid were the most requested titles. Works like 'Galdós in the Labyrinth of Spain' and 'El Quijotico' were also prominently featured.
Last year, the Madrid Book Fair was declared an Asset of Cultural Interest as Intangible Heritage. The regional Executive supports the event with over 300,000 euros allocated to directly aid the Booksellers' Guild and Madrid's bookstores.
