The Cordoban town of Montilla is preparing to host the sixth edition of the Historical Novel Conference, a cultural event scheduled for September 29 and 30. The Castle of Montilla will serve as the venue, welcoming renowned authors such as Olalla García, Jesús Sánchez Adalid, and José Calvo Poyato.
A key highlight of this year's event will be the presentation of José Calvo Poyato's new novel, El Imperio en la Tormenta (The Empire in the Storm), coinciding with its release in bookstores on September 30.
The conference will commence on Tuesday, September 29, at 8:00 PM. Olalla García will discuss her novel El pecado nefando (The Nefarious Sin), based on a real case and focusing on the persecution of homosexuality in past centuries. Meanwhile, Jesús Sánchez Adalid will present Tres halcones para Tamerlán (Three Falcons for Tamerlane), a story set during the embassy sent from Enrique III's Castile to the court of the Asian emperor Tamerlane.
The first deputy mayor, Lidia Bujalance, explained that these conferences align with the Montilla City Council's aim to “create spaces where Montilla's residents can have a leisure opportunity centered around culture,” emphasizing that literature fosters knowledge and critical thinking.
Bujalance also noted that reaching the sixth edition demonstrates that “we are looking at a consolidated cultural event in Montilla,” and expressed gratitude to José Calvo Poyato for his involvement in maintaining this event and making the presentation of his latest novel possible in Montilla.
The Councilor for Culture, Soledad Raya, highlighted the public's positive response in previous editions and thanked Calvo Poyato for his coordination and efforts in bringing top authors to Montilla, as well as for choosing the city for his new work's launch.
On Wednesday, September 30, José Calvo Poyato, writer, historian, and coordinator of the conference, will present El Imperio en la Tormenta. He highlighted that Montilla will be the first place in Spain where he will discuss this work, which explores the conflict between the Hispanic Monarchy and England in the late 16th century, continuing his focus on the figure of Philip II.
Calvo Poyato defended the genre's capacity to disseminate the past, stating that “historical novels have always greatly interested readers because it is a way to approach history,” blending historical events with the fictional elements inherent in narrative.
With this sixth edition, the Montilla City Council continues its commitment to creating a meeting point between literature, history, and citizenship, bringing reference authors in historical novels to Montilla.
