Writers from Madrid, Granada, Logroño, and Alicante will gather this Saturday for a recital honoring the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, observed on November 25. The event, titled Four Voices, unfolds as a poetic vermouth afternoon at the Alicante International Books bookstore at noon, creating a communal space where literature meets community action.
The gathering is organized by Chus Sánchez, who frames the occasion around the transforming power of words. It is envisioned as a welcoming meeting point to share poetry, savor vermouth, and enjoy a literary Saturday that remains mindful of the 25N reminder. A further incentive to participate is the nearby celebration of Bookstore Day the following weekend, which adds an extra layer of shared cultural significance to the afternoon.
Adriana Bañares, representing Logroño, is the author of Capensis City (University Press of Zaragoza, 2022). The work was a finalist for the Book of the Year Award in the poetry category from the Madrid Booksellers Association. Bañares is also the founder and director of Aloha Publishing House, a project dedicated to fostering bold, contemporary voices in regional literature.
Erika Cipre, a Granada-based writer, has published Signs of Loss in 2019 with Algorfa Editions, a collection of existential horror poetry in which the author also contributed as illustrator. Her pre-teen novel Seeing Lava on the Seashore in a Dream was released by Baker Street, and her second poetry collection, What Does Synesthesia Feel Like with Black Hope? (Algorfa Editions), further explores imaginative and sensory thresholds in lyric form.
The Madrid participant, Violet Chestnut, has produced three poetry collections: Parks, Causes, and Pedestrian Crossings (2010); Farewell to the Moderns (2016); and All Those Who Are Not Me (2021). Chestnut was a finalist for the XVI Ana María Matute Prize for Women’s Fiction, awarded by Ediciones Torremozas, highlighting a sustained engagement with gendered experience in contemporary poetry.
Alicante’s representation comes from Esther Abellán, a versatile figure active in literary and cultural circles in Villena. Abellán is an editor and contributor to cultural magazines Loblanc and Gafe.info. She has coordinated the poetry cycle in the 2022-2023 season Feeding the Rain at IAC Juan Gil-Albert and has published several recent collections, including No Elevator 4. (Ay Ara Poem, 2018) and Oral (Sapere Aude, 2021). Her body of work also includes Women of the World (BGR, 2022) and the article Poets on the Bridge of Mirrors (Electric Romance, 2021). In addition, she authored her first novel, It Was Enough (True Noir, 2023), marking a notable expansion into narrative prose.
The event unfolds as a chorus of voices drawn from different regions, each poet bringing a distinct perspective shaped by local history, language, and personal memory. The afternoon promises not only lyrical performance but also thoughtful reflection on the social realities that surround gender-based violence. Attendees can expect a program that blends intimate verse with broader social commentary, inviting listeners to engage, question, and connect with the themes through speech, sound, and shared experience.