Expoesía: a week dedicated to Basque creators

La ventana más importante para la promoción exterior de la cultura vasca de este verano será la Feria del Libro de Soria Expoesía 2021, que se celebrará del 1 al 8 de agosto, y tendrá este año a Euskal Herria -su lengua, poesía y literatura- como protagonista, cogiendo el relevo de Portugal.

The most important platform for promoting Basque culture abroad this summer will be the Soria Book Fair, Expoesía 2021, held from 1 to 8 August. Following Portugal as the guest country in 2020, this year’s event will focus on the language, poetry and literature of the Basque Country.

The ‘Cercanías´ section will feature creators who write in both Euskara and Spanish: Bernardo Atxaga, Miren Agur Meabe, Leire Bilbao, Iñigo Astiz, Itxaro Borda, Tere Irastortza, Aitor Francos, Karmelo C. Iribarren and Peru Magdalena; the section will also include the scholars Pello Salaburu and Jon Kortazar.

In the field of entertainment, Soria will host Kukai Dantza (1 August, with their show ‘Hnuy illa’), Amaia Zubiria (2 August), Ruper Ordorika (5 August), as well as film screenings ‘Obaba’ (Montxo Armendariz, 2015) and ‘Dantza’ (Telmo Esnal, 2018). There will also be a monograph dedicated to Pamplona filmmaker Oskar Alegria, featuring two of his films ‘Emak Bakia baita’ (2012) and ‘Zumiriki’ (2019).

The roster at Expoesía will also include bertsolaris Uxue Alberdi and Miren Amuriza, a group of traditional carnival characters known as ‘joaldunak’ and Txamala txalapartariak. Until 28 August visitors can also enjoy ‘Arte y parte’, a photograph exhibition by San Sebastian photographer Isabel Azkarate. In addition, four of the twenty publishing houses present at the Book Fair will be Basque: Pamiela, Elkar, Astiberri and Txalaparta.