The conference, organized by the Culture Department of the City Council and coordinated by historian José Calvo Poyato, has generated significant interest, with all available spots sold out shortly after registration opened. The opening ceremony was attended by the Delegate for Culture, M. Sierra Sabariego, and the coordinator himself, marking the start of two days of interaction between writers and readers.
The municipal head of Culture, M. Sierra Sabariego, highlighted the initiative's "great reception" and its contribution to Cabra's cultural programming, emphasizing the "quality of the participating authors" and Calvo Poyato's coordination efforts. She also thanked the audience's loyalty, whose support "allows us to consolidate an event that generates considerable anticipation each year".
For his part, José Calvo Poyato expressed gratitude for the support from the City Council and the Culture Department staff, as well as the sustained interest from readers. He stressed the historical novel's capacity to "bring the past closer to the public and foster dialogue about the events and figures that have shaped different stages of our history".
Today's program includes a lecture by Javier Negrete, titled ‘Odysseus, the Art of Deception, the Power of Stories’, dedicated to the classical world and the protagonist of the Odyssey. Following this, Alicia Vallina will present ‘Pilar de Acedo. The Woman Who Conquered a King’, an exploration of this aristocrat and her relationship with Joseph Bonaparte during the Peninsular War.
Tomorrow, Wednesday, October 28, Gonzalo Giner will open the session at 7:00 PM with ‘Toledo 1212: The Armies of Las Navas de Tolosa’, focusing on the period preceding a decisive battle. Afterwards, at 8:00 PM, José Calvo Poyato will present ‘The Ocean Remained Spanish’, an intervention that will also serve as the Cabra launch for his new novel, ‘The Empire in the Storm’, set during the events of the Spanish Armada in 1588 and the English Counter Armada of 1589.
All lectures will include a Q&A session with attendees, encouraging an exchange of impressions between authors and readers. The closing is scheduled for tomorrow at 9:00 PM, concluding a program that combines historical dissemination, literary creation, and public participation.
