Julieta Venegas and Brenda Navarro headline independent Back to the Book festival

More than 130 publishers and a lineup that includes Julieta Venegas, Paco Roca and Brenda Navarro will gather in Madrid for the third edition of the independent Back to the Book festival from September 11 to 13.

Mexican singer Julieta Venegas will open the festival on Friday with a presentation of her memoir, “Norteña. Memorias del comienzo,” published by Las afueras. Saturday’s program includes comic artist Paco Roca, presenting “El viaje,” and South Korean novelist Cheon Myeong-kwan, whose “Ballena” was shortlisted for the 2023 International Booker Prize.

Choi Jin-young will discuss her first novel translated into Spanish, “Hacia donde se pone el sol.” The festival will close on Sunday with appearances by Solla Sobra, José Ovejero, Moderna de Pueblo and María Hesse, among others.

The program includes workshops, conversations, reading clubs and author presentations involving writers such as Marta Sanz, Mónica Ojeda, Jon Bilbao and Pilar Adón. Publishers from Spain, Argentina, Colombia, Chile and Mexico will attend, along with publishing houses from Berlin and New York.

Organized by Altamarea Bookshop, the festival has expanded from 67 publishers and 50 guests last year. More than 12,000 people attended that edition, compared with 7,000 in 2024. This year’s new initiative will support the international reach of Spanish-language literature through training for European editors and meetings focused on buying and selling rights.