Guadalajara, Jal., The mayor of Barcelona, Spain, Jaume Collboni, announced yesterday at the Guadalajara International Book Fair (FIL) the Narra Barcelona initiative, which will be enabled in January 2026 to strengthen the cultural and publishing link between Latin America and that city, guest of honor of this 39th edition of the book meeting.
At a press conference, Collboni, accompanied by Xavier Marcé, Councilor for Culture and Creative Industries, explained that the call will allow a Latin American author “with a consolidated career” to spend three months in the city and develop a literary project about it, with an economic stimulus of 80 thousand euros.
“It will not be a commissioned book and it can address any genre,” explained the mayor. “The idea is that the participant details and analyzes what, from their artistic perspective, Barcelona represents, as the name of the initiative indicates.”
Marcé pointed out that the residency is aimed only at those who live in Latin America and who have literary experience, so it is not intended for students or amateur authors. He added that “the jury will select the participant taking into account their career and the relevance of their project.”
Collboni noted that Narra Barcelona seeks to consolidate itself as an annual program, and the resulting works will be published with translation into Catalan to create an archive of Latin American perspectives on contemporary Barcelona. The call will be made in collaboration with Casa América, the Culture Institute and other entities.
The mayor highlighted the importance of programs like this to bring Catalan culture closer to Latin America and strengthen ties with creators in the region.
“Barcelona offers an environment that inspires, suggests and allows for multiple ways of being approached. With Narra Barcelona we seek for Latin American authors to transmit their vision and contribute to a diverse and enriching portrait,” he concluded.
The complete call, as well as the requirements and details of the selection process, can be consulted at: https://ajuntament.barcelona.cat/es.