Ja! Festival 2014

That 5th year it was Julian Barnes who received the award. Julian is a perfect British gentleman, kind and cheerful. His famous novel 'Flaubert's Parrot' is an image of a multicoloured parrot wearing a monocle and a bowler hat. And he's an excellent foodie who enjoyed our fine restaurant sponsors, just like Isabel Coixet. Emmanuel Carrère and Jean Echenoz, who are bound not only by literature but also by a personal friendship, engaged in a dialogue. We also welcomed Lionel Shriver, and meeting Luis Goytisolo in person was an honour. The day of his interview, he received the terrible news that his sister had died; he did not want to cancel the event and carried on with his polite charm on stage.