Photos: Jonathan Lethem | Random House // Samanta Schweblin © Isabel Wagemann
Jonathan Lethem, Peter Kuper and Samanta Schweblin will be some of the featured authors in an edition that will have more international guests than ever before.
Jonathan Lethem (New York, 1964) is one of the most imaginative narrators of our time. In addition to a unique talent for blending varied genres with the utmost naturalness, Lethem conveys the pulse of his city like no other. He does so in novels such as the celebrated ‘Motherless Brooklyn’ -the story of a unique detective with Tourette’s syndrome that was made into a film by Edward Norton in 2019-, and ‘The Fortress of Solitude, to which he has added ‘Brooklyn, a crime novel’, his latest novel. Lethem is also a regular contributor to ‘The New Yorker’, a weekly that the festival will pay tribute to for its centenary.
In addition to quality journalism and literature, the iconic magazine is noted for the humour of its pages. The playful vocation – marked by its founder Harold Ross – distinguishes this publication from others such as ‘Time’ or ‘Life’, founded at the same time, and is reflected both in the content of its texts and in its iconic covers and cartoons.
Graphic artist Peter Kuper (New Jersey, 1958) is a regular contributor to ‘The New Yorker’. His cartoons can also be seen regularly in ‘The Nation’ and ‘Charlie Hebdo’. Kuper has published a dozen books, including ‘Oaxaca Diary’, ‘New York Diary’ and literary adaptations of Joseph Conrad’s ‘Heart of Darkness’ and Franz Kafka’s ‘Metamorphosis’. His latest title is ‘Insectopolis’ (W.W. Norton & Company).
Samanta Schewblin, born in 1978 in Buenos Aires and based in Berlin since 2012, is one of the most interesting writers of her generation. With the exception of her novel ‘Fever Dream’, her books stand out in the short story genre, with stories such as ‘A Mouthful of Birds’, ‘Seven Empty Houses’, ‘Kentukis’ and ‘El buen mal’. Some of her short stories have also been published in ‘The New Yorker’.
Shows: double session on 11 October
Among the new features of this edition, we are looking forward to the celebration of a very special day with a double programme: a live broadcast of the programme ‘El Sentido De La Birra’, presented by Ricardo Moya, and a New York-inspired party, hosted by Joaquín Reyes. Tickets will be on sale from 18 July. You can get them through this website. These shows will be held on Saturday 11 October back-to-back, so you can attend both events if you wish.