Activities by Granada UNESCO City of Literature at the 44th Granada Book Fair 2026. Jakarta (Indonesia), UNESCO Guest City
Since 2015, the Granada UNESCO City of Literature programme has provided significant support to the Granada Book Fair, helping to strengthen its cultural relevance by bringing together nationally and internationally renowned authors, promoting its internationalisation through the “UNESCO Guest City” initiative, and maintaining consistent support for local creators.
UNESCO Guest Cities 2019–2025
2019: Nottingham (United Kingdom)
2022: Ljubljana (Slovenia)
2023: Heidelberg (Germany)
2024: Manchester (United Kingdom)
2025: Óbidos (Portugal)
Jakarta, UNESCO Guest City 2026
Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia, is a vibrant metropolis where tradition and modernity coexist. With a population of over ten million, it is the country’s main political, economic, and cultural centre. Its identity is shaped by remarkable ethnic and linguistic diversity, reflected in its urban life, cuisine, and artistic expressions.
In recent decades, Jakarta has undergone significant cultural development, with the emergence of numerous contemporary creative spaces, festivals, and a growing literary scene. Jakarta has been a UNESCO City of Literature since 2021. As Guest City of the Granada Book Fair 2026, Jakarta fosters the opening of our city to the cultural geographies of Southeast Asia.
Indonesian Literature Events organised by Granada UNESCO City of Literature
Indonesia’s presence at the Granada Book Fair 2026 is structured through a dedicated programme within the international section, reinforcing the global character of the event. This programme includes two author events and roundtable discussions.
On Friday 24 April at 9:00 pm, the Fundación Caja Rural Granada Pavilion will host a conversation with Indonesian writer Eka Kurniawan (Tasikmalaya, 1975), one of the most prominent voices in contemporary Indonesian literature. His novel Beauty Is a Wound, published in Spain by Lumen, has been translated into more than thirty languages and combines history, magical realism, and oral tradition.
Eka Kurniawan will be in conversation with Laura Prinsloo, MTN Sastra – Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Indonesia / Focal Point for Jakarta UNESCO City of Literature, discussing his work, Jakarta as a UNESCO City, and the international projection of contemporary Indonesian literature. The event will include simultaneous English–Spanish interpretation by Óscar Jiménez.
On Saturday 25 April at 8:30 pm, Sala Zaida will host a dialogue with Indonesian authors Feby Indirani and Soe Tjen Marching, representatives of the country’s new literary scene. Indirani, a writer and former journalist, and Marching, an essayist focusing on memory and gender, will explore the diversity of female voices in Indonesia. Both embody an emerging narrative—yet to be translated into Spanish—that is beginning to attract international attention.
The event will be presented and moderated by Marina Tapia and will include simultaneous English–Spanish interpretation by Óscar Jiménez.
Programme of Activities by Granada UNESCO City of Literature at the 44th Granada Book Fair 2026
→ Friday 24 April, 9:00 pm
Jakarta, UNESCO Guest City / Contemporary Indonesian Literature / Meeting with Eka KURNIAWAN: a conversation with Jesús ORTEGA, Focal Point of Granada UNESCO City of Literature, and Laura PRINSLOO, MTN Sastra – Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Indonesia and Focal Point for Jakarta UNESCO City of Literature / Simultaneous English–Spanish interpretation by Óscar JIMÉNEZ / Venue: Fundación Caja Rural Granada Pavilion. (Organised in collaboration with Jakarta UNESCO City of Literature and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Indonesia).
→ Saturday 25 April, 12:00 pm
Meeting with Juan Evaristo VALLS BOIX and presentation of The Right to Beautiful Things (Ariel, 2025) / Presented by Azucena G. BLANCO and Jordi CARMONA HURTADO / Venue: Sala Zaida. (Organised in collaboration with Biopol UGR).
→ Saturday 25 April, 1:30 pm
Special session of Poetry Slam Granada / Guest artist: Sergio ESCRIBANO / Moderated by Alberto PRIETO / Venue: Fundación Caja Rural Granada Pavilion.
→ Saturday 25 April, 8:30 pm
Jakarta, UNESCO Guest City / Contemporary Indonesian Literature / Meeting with Feby INDIRANI and Soe TJEN MARCHING / Presented and moderated by Marina TAPIA / Simultaneous English–Spanish interpretation by Óscar JIMÉNEZ / Venue: Sala Zaida. (Organised in collaboration with Jakarta UNESCO City of Literature and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Indonesia).
→ Tuesday 28 April, 7:30 pm
Rediscovering San Juan de la Cruz in Granada / Roundtable with Juanjo IBÁÑEZ, Jesús ORTEGA, David CUERVA, and Lucía CONTRERAS / Venue: Fundación Caja Rural Granada.
→ Wednesday 29 April, 7:30 pm
Maria STEPANOVA (Russia) in conversation with Pilar ARANDA / Venue: Fundación Caja Rural Granada. (Organised in collaboration with the Slavic Cultures Centre of the University of Granada).
→ Friday 1 May, 8:30 pm
Discovering Simone FALK (Germany) in conversation with Jesús ORTEGA / Venue: Sala Zaida / Simultaneous German–Spanish interpretation by Abel SALCEDO.
