Guests blend Nobel laureates, award-winning writers and journalists, global policy makers and innovators in a diverse range of conversations and activities, with events in Jericó (24–26 January), Medellín (28–29 January), Cartagena de Indias (30 January–2 February), and Barranquilla (3 February).
More than 190 artists from 28 countries feature in the programme, including authors Salman Rushdie, María Negroni, Jorge Ramos, Isabella Hammad, Colson Whitehead, Cristina Rivera Garza, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Yomi Adegoke, Leila Guerriero, Gioconda Belli, Juan Gómez-Jurado, Camila Sosa Villada, Colm Tóibín, Amitav Ghosh, Piedad Bonnett, Richard Ford, Mayra Santos-Febres, Justin Torres, Rachel Eliza Griffiths, and María Dueñas; scientists Rafael Yuste, Marcus du Sautoy, Jennifer Ackerman, Rodrigo Quirán Quiroga, Mariano Sigman, Thomas Hertog; historians and philosophers Susan Neiman, Peter Frankopan, Anne Applebaum, Álex Grijelmo, Nicola Lagioia, Diana Uribe, Natalie Haynes and John Sellars; and musicians Carlos Vives, Carlos López Puccio (Les Luthiers), Juan Carlos Coronel, Jorge Velosa and Bocafloja.
Major Hay Festival Global projects feature throughout the programme, forging essential global connections across borders: SouthtoSouth conversations supported by Open Society Foundations, Lviv BookForum series, Eccles Institute platforms, and the launch of the Serie Malunga Network for global justice with the support of Ford Foundation where academics and writers discuss talk racism and ways to challenge existing narratives.
Outreach and education programmes across the region, including Hay Festival Joven for young people and Hay Festival Communitario in communities, will continue to open access to Festival inspiration more widely, while some sessions will be broadcast live online, maintaining Hay Festival Global’s commitment to digital accessibility.
To celebrate the Festival’s 20th anniversary, a new engagement project – 20 Questions – invites audiences to share their burning questions with a selection put to all of this year’s guests and shared in digital shorts throughout the event.
Hay Festival CEO Julie Finch said:
“Two decades of creative work come to fruition in Colombia this January and February with a programme of conversations and performances to inspire and engage. Full of new ideas and bold thinking, this is the jolt of energy we need to begin 2025. Our events are open to everyone, and we look forward to sharing a world of different perspectives in person and online.”
Hay Festival international director Cristina Fuentes La Roche said:
“At a turbulent time around the world, here is a programme of events in Colombia to offer hope for something better – a shared space for the free exchange of ideas that we have spent 20 years cultivating with our colleagues and friends across the country. We are grateful to the artists, partners and supporters who make this happen and look forward to seeing you all soon.”
The programme in detail
Great literature leads the 20th anniversary programme as renowned international writers share new work, including Salman Rushdie, Colm Tóibín, Viet Thanh Nguyen, Justin Torres, Isabella Hammad, Camila Sosa Villada, Gioconda Belli, Lyonel Trouillot, María Negroni, Cristina Rivera Garza, Gilbert Shang Ndi, Mayra Santos-Febres, Richard Ford, Colson Whitehead, Juan Gómez Jurado, Rafael Navarro de Castro, María Dueñas, Raúl Quinto, Juan Gabriel Vásquez, Melba Escobar, Piedad Bonnet, Laura Ortiz Gómez, Yurieth Romero, and illustrator María Hesse.
Rhythm and wordplay weave their way across the Festival stages in events featuring poet Rachel Eliza Griffiths, while musicians share insights into their craft in conversations with Carlos Vives and Andrés Mompotes.
The latest thinking in science and the challenges with AI is platformed in conversations with neuroscientists Rafael Yuste, Mariano Sigman and Rodrigo Quirán; mathematician Marcus du Sautoy; journalist Jennifer Ackerman; and ethnologist and anthropologist Martin von Hildebrand.
The past is reimagined in conversations with historians Diana Uribe, Alfonso Munera, John Sellars, Pablo Montoya, Peter Frankopan and Greg Clark; while classicist Natalie Haynes shares her enchanting retellings of Greek myths.
Society comes into focus as Amitav Ghosh critiques western values; Virginia Mendoza explores water wars; Javier Zamora tells the story of migrant children from Central America; Silvia Vásquez-Lavado shares tales from the power of the mountains; Malose Malahlela, Polly Russell and Gustavo Ulcué Campo discuss the importance of archives; and philosophers Wolfram Eilenberger and Susan Neiman share their latest work.
Democracy and the state of our world is further explored as historian Anne Applebaum presents Autocracy Inc; economist Edward Chancellor explores interest rates; plus Colombian thinkers Alejandro Gaviria, Florence Thomas, Óscar Guardiola-Rivera and Laura Quintana take the pulse of their nation.
Journalists spotlight the fight for free experience as Ukrainian reporter Nataliya Gumenyuk joins fellow journalists Txell Feixas, Catalina Gómez and Tatiana Velásquez; Abraham Jiménez Enoa and Juan Diego Quesada discuss attacks on a free press; and there are conversations with Daniel Coronell, María Jimena Duzán, María Elvira Samper, Yomi Adegoke, and Johny Pitts.
Late nights offer a chance to celebrate with the opening concert led by Juan Carlos Coronel; a special concert curated by interdisciplinary artist Bocafloja; a special event with Carlos López Puccio from Les Luthiers, and the closing musical event with Jorge Velosa, El Carranguero Mayor.
Tickets and the full program www.hayfestival.org/cartagena
