Who said books only look good on a bookshelf? In Porto, the power of words will “fly” from the pages of paper to the streets, squares, and historic buildings with the debut of an ambitious literary festival: BABELL.
From June 24 to 29, the new festival promises to transform Porto into a true “book city,” offering one of the highest concentrations of literary geniuses per square meter in its history.
From popular authors like Margaret Atwood ( creator of the dystopian saga “The Handmaid’s Tale”) to Nobel Prize in Literature winner Olga Tokarczuk, the program is impressive and brings together major national and international talents.
BABELL at a glance
Organized by the Livraria Lello Foundation, in collaboration with the Porto City Council, BABELL was created to celebrate the 120th anniversary of the famous Porto bookstore—recently designated a National Monument.
Furthermore, it coincides with the 25th anniversary of Porto 2001—European Capital of Culture. Given this, the ambitious nature of this literary debut comes as no surprise.
A star-studded lineup
The BABELL lineup reads like any bibliophile’s wish list. In this context, one of the most anticipated and “controversial” names is that of Salman Rushdie. At 78, he was born in Bombay (now Mumbai) and is a living symbol of freedom of expression.
The author is known for publishing brilliant works such as “Midnight’s Children” and “The Satanic Verses.” The latter book forced Rushdie to live in hiding for years to escape relentless persecution.
But the constellation of talent continues with the presence of Hungarian author László Krasznahorkai, who joins Olga Tokarczuk to bring the number of Nobel Prize in Literature laureates to two at the first edition of the Porto festival.
The list continues with Margaret Atwood, one of the most acclaimed names whose series on streaming platforms has further elevated “The Handmaid’s Tale”; Julian Barnes, Conceição Evaristo, Héctor Abad Faciolince, Byung-Chul Han, and Javier Cercas ( one of Spain’s most popular writers) also feature on the literary lineup.
National and Portuguese-speaking talents
National and Portuguese-speaking talent could not be left out. As such, BABELL features the participation of writers well-known to the general public in Portugal, such as Lídia Jorge, Gonçalo M. Tavares, Valter Hugo Mãe, Djaimilia Pereira de Almeida, the aforementioned Conceição Evaristo, among others.
The admission ticket is… a book!
To participate in the sessions packed with literary stars, there’s one entry requirement: you must buy a book at one of the more than 50 participating bookstores.
How does it work? Each book entitles you to a ticket with an access code, which allows you to reserve a spot through the official BABELL website.
It is also mandatory, for access to any session, to carry a book in hand. More than a rule, it is a symbolic gesture that promises to transform every reader into a living page of the city itself.
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