A writer from Alicante, Lola Blasco, spoke on the opening day of the Alicante Book Fair, now in its 53rd year, set in Seneca Square and running through May 14. The kickoff brought together Ellense, another prominent female author, and featured a presentation of Elia Barceló’s new novel, Loves That Kill. The opening framed a tribute to women artists who history has often overlooked, affirming art as a fundamental human need.
Blasco is recognized for winning the 2016 National Award for Dramatic Literature for My Century, My Beast. The moment underscored the fair’s emphasis on dialogue and collaboration, reinforcing Blasco’s belief that storytelling can reveal injustices and stimulate social change. Through her theater work and activism, she consistently links narrative with advocacy and accountability.
The fair’s Mediterranean light motif encouraged attendees to connect with stories that echo the sunlit landscapes and sea-drenched horizons of the region. Reflections on authors who traversed these shores—figures such as Antonio Machado—evoked childhood memories shaped by exile and resilience, painting a backdrop of blue skies and bright days that informed much of the storytelling this year.
Conversations on stage explored how literature can harmonize with the quiet, powerful silences found in landscapes and cities alike. Works discussed framed power dynamics, family histories through the lens of the Spanish Civil War, and the personal through the political. One example traced how a writer’s piano—sold during upheaval—became a symbol of memory and resistance, a reminder that storytelling can preserve personal and collective histories. The aim was to show that creation can provide solace and even rewrite parts of history when necessary.
Blasco also addressed broader social issues, including the harsh realities of migration in the Sahara and the ongoing crises in the Mediterranean. Discussions around Don Quixote and the mass deaths of refugees underscored a shared concern: when confronted with indifference, imagination and faith in new possibilities can be tested. The works presented suggested that characters and authors alike must contend with loss while keeping a vision for what could be created next.
The author drew inspiration from literary giants such as Shakespeare, Cervantes, and Lorca, while showing a keen interest in European theater, including German drama. She highlighted influences from Heiner Müller, Bertolt Brecht, Jelinek, Sarah Kane, and Thomas Bernhard, signaling a broad engagement with political theater and how it can illuminate society.
Elia Barceló and Santa Rita
After the keynote, Barceló hosted a public session with Cristina Consuegra to discuss the latest installment of a tetralogy set in a fictional Mediterranean world inspired by the Alicante region. The newest work, Loves That Kill, continues the saga in a place named Santa Rita, an old hospital repurposed as a residence where multiple generations intersect in a shared living space.
Consuegra, described by critics as a modern counterpart to Patricia Highsmith, portrays the Santa Rita setting as utopian in its privacy and communal life. The space becomes a mirror for contemporary polarization, a dream of a community that shares a common purpose while preserving individual autonomy.
In Loves That Kill, Barceló weaves a narrative that balances entertainment with resistance and a celebration of art. The work serves as a tribute to women artists who history has marginalized, arguing that art is essential to life and to the ongoing human project of creativity. The author suggested that many politicians fail to grasp this truth, a gap that literature can help bridge by foregrounding voices that deserve recognition.
Upcoming serials
Barceló also revealed plans for a novel that will be adapted into a television series. Long Shadows, already in production in Madrid, will soon transition into a filmed series that follows a circle of friends framed by Moorish and Christian festivities, promising a richly textured exploration of history, memory, and identity on screen.