Spain celebrates its 'Confluencias' with Brazil as Guest of Honour at the 2026 São Paulo International Book Biennial

The Ministry of Culture and Acción Cultural Española have unveiled the programme for Spain's participation as Guest of Honour at the São Paulo International Book Biennial, which will take place in the Brazilian city from 4 to 13 September. Spain's participation in this Biennale - one of the world's most important literary fairs - is structured around the theme 'Confluences' (Confluencias), serving as an opportunity to showcase the Spanish publishing sector.

Spain's participation is coordinated by the Directorate-General for Books, Comics and Reading at the Ministry of Culture, in collaboration with Acción Cultural Española (AC/E), the Cervantes Institute and the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID), as well as the Spanish Publishers' Federation.

The launch event, held at the Archive of the Crown of Aragon in Barcelona, was attended by the Minister for Culture, Ernest Urtasun; the Director-General for Books, Comics and Reading at the Ministry of Culture, María José Gálvez; the Director of Programming at Acción Cultural Española (AC/E), Inmaculada Ballesteros; the Director of the Instituto Cervantes, Luis García Montero; the president of the Brazilian Book Chamber, Sevani Matos; and the curator of the literary programme, Marta Sanz.

The Minister for Culture, Ernest Urtasun, stated that "our presence as guest of honour in São Paulo represents a truly significant milestone for the Spanish publishing industry and for our literary output, but it also signifies something more: the opportunity to deepen the dialogue between cultures, and between languages, through the gateway provided by the Portuguese-speaking world and cultural cooperation between our countries". He added that "internationalisation is no longer seen as merely a promotional aspect of the sector, but as a structural dimension of public policies on reading, aimed at expanding the effective exercise of this right in a global context. Bringing Spanish books to an international audience also means strengthening cultural cooperation and promoting our own linguistic and publishing diversity".

The president of the Brazilian Book Chamber, Sevani Matos, stated that "welcoming Spain as Guest of Honour is a celebration of a literary tradition that spans centuries and continues to inspire readers around the world. Its presence at the São Paulo Book Biennial broadens the event's international scope and strengthens cultural and publishing ties between Brazil and the Ibero-American world. It is also an opportunity to reaffirm the Biennial as a space for encounter, diversity and dialogue amongst the different voices of contemporary literature".

Meanwhile, Inmaculada Ballesteros, Director of Programming at Acción Cultural Española (AC/E), stated that "we want the pavilion to be an open, contemporary and welcoming space; a place where established authors and new voices, major publishers and independent projects, thought, creativity, illustration, children's literature, essays, poetry and fiction can all coexist".

The director of the Instituto Cervantes, Luis García Montero, explained that "as a complement to the literary programme, we wanted the cultural programme to broaden the scope of the discussion. Literature naturally takes centre stage, but we wanted to show that relations between Spain and Brazil have also been forged through the visual arts, photography, music, philosophy, academia and intellectual exchange".

Literary programme

Under the theme 'Confluences' (Confluencias), the presence of contemporary Spanish literature at the Biennial will offer a representative overview from the perspective of an encounter with Brazil, and will foster a dialogue between the two cultures through the diversity of both countries.

The literary curator, Marta Sanz, explained that the project is "driven by a desire to come together, which is encapsulated in a powerful visual metaphor: the undulating pavements designed by the urban planner and landscape architect Burle Marx, on either side of the Atlantic Ocean. From one side to the other, flowing, converging and expressing the interconnection and the desire for encounter between two countries and continents". She added that "this idea - which seeks synthesis and balance - shapes a programme that selects themes and figures from contemporary Spanish literature based on the themes and figures from Brazilian literature that have most deeply resonated within the Hispanic imagination throughout the 20th and 21st centuries".

The Spanish delegation will include 50 authors, among them Xesús Fraga, Bernardo Atxaga, Candela Sierra, Alana S. Portero, Sabina Urraca, María Folguera, Katixa Agirre, Berta Dávila, Gemma Ruiz Palà, Azahara Palomeque, Carlos Zanón, Elena Medel, Isaac Rosa, María Canosa, Sara Barquinero, Harkaitz Cano, Marc Collel, Elvira Navarro and Rosario Izquiedo.

The programme will consist of thirty sessions addressing some of the themes, trends and styles found in Brazilian and Spanish literature, topics closely linked to issues such as the transgression of identities and borders, the uncanny and the macabre, the writing of space, ecology, literature of the self and new forms of autofiction, democratic memory and the critical re-examination of history, among others.

Linguistic diversity and the combination of all literary genres and forms of expression - including fiction, poetry, essays, drama, comics, and children's and young adult literature - will be further key elements of the programme.

Additionally, some authors from the Spanish delegation will travel to various Instituto Cervantes locations in Brazil to hold readings, discussions and workshops. In this way, the literature will extend beyond the fair itself, becoming accessible to a wider audience in other cities.

A Spanish pavilion where cultures, languages and traditions come together

The Spanish pavilion, covering 500 m², has been designed by PeiPe Estudio SL and will be located within the Anhembi District complex. Conceived as a literary space and a venue for activities, the pavilion will represent Spain in its role as Guest of Honour at the São Paulo International Book Fair.

Under the theme "Confluences" (Confluencias) and inspired by the mosaics of artist Roberto Burle Marx, the pavilion is designed as a continuous landscape of elements; their irregular, fluid geometry evokes the diversity of contemporary Spanish literature and its dialogue with Brazil.

The venue will be organised into a number of interconnected areas: a book exhibition area, a space for professional meetings, an area for the buying and selling of rights, and an auditorium for literary and musical events.

A wide-ranging cultural programme

The literary programme will be complemented by a series of activities in various formats, aimed at different audiences, which will form part of a wide-ranging cultural programme.

Eight poetry evenings will be held - gatherings designed to hear some of the most representative contemporary voices in poetry written in Spanish, Catalan, Basque and Galician, as well as in languages and forms of expression in transition. In addition, the Biennial will host a tribute to Caballero Bonald as part of his centenary celebrations.

For its part, the Instituto Cervantes will be organising the exhibition 'Palmira Puig / Marcel Giró Humanism in Brazilian Modernist Photography' at its headquarters in São Paulo. The exhibition pays tribute to two of the most distinctive figures in modern Brazilian photography, whose careers bridge the Spanish Republican exile and the artistic vibrancy of São Paulo during the second half of the 20th century. To complement this exhibition, the Spanish Pavilion at the Biennale will host a visual installation comprising 20 photographs by both artists.

Music will also feature at the Biennial with a performance by artist Sheila Blanco on the day the Spanish Pavilion opens, followed by a concert on 6 September in which she will pay tribute to the female artists of the Generation of '27. Additionally, saxophonist and composer Carles Margarit will give a concert on 5 September, blending jazz and poetry.

The exhibition 'El Thyssen te visita' will also be travelling to São Paulo; this is a travelling exhibition organised by the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum and the Spanish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation, through the Spanish Agency for International Development Cooperation (AECID) and the Spanish Embassy in Brazil. The exhibition will bring reproductions of masterpieces to public spaces, with the aim of bringing art closer to people's everyday lives.

In addition, Spain's programme of events will include three comic-book masterclasses, literary and translation workshops, and a range of activities for young people and children.

As part of the professional programme, a number of Spanish publishers will be in attendance to take part in the rights market, alongside representatives from across the book industry. This programme features the Federation of National Associations of Book Distributors (FANDE), the Spanish Confederation of Booksellers' Guilds and Associations (CEGAL) and the Federation of Publishers' Guilds of Spain (FGEE), which will be hosting a series of talks aimed at industry professionals.

Non official translation