Benitachell wraps up successful outdoor literature festival celebrating local art and culture

Benitachell has brought the second edition of its popular Literatura a la fresca, or Outdoor Literature festival, to a successful close, concluding two weeks of vibrant cultural celebrations that transformed local streets, plazas, and historic areas into an open-air stage for literature, feminist art, and community memories.

Open-air culture transforms local streets

Organised by the municipal departments of Culture and Equality alongside the Clásicas y Modernas Association, the festival ran in mid-August. Pulling literature out of traditional venues and bringing it directly into public spaces, the two-week event featured an array of activities for all ages, ranging from children’s workshops to open-air film screenings and poetry recitals.

Restored feminist artwork and historical tributes

A key highlight of this year’s programme was the Art al Carrer (Art in the Streets) outdoor exhibition, displaying 101 feminist art canvases generously loaned by the Associació de Dones de Picanya. The collection carried profound emotional weight, featuring works that were painstakingly restored after being damaged by the severe DANA storms in late 2024.

Gender equality and historical memory remained as central themes throughout the festival. One evening of the event paid tribute to the pioneering female intellectuals of Spain’s Generación del 26 and the universal suffragist movement, complete with live musical accompaniment and dramatised readings that highlighted long-silenced voices in history.

Grand finale honours regional writers and heritage

The festival’s grand finale took place at the Social Centre, kicking off with the Voces de nuestro pueblo, or Voices of Our Town, showcase. The segment highlighted local creators linked to Benitachell, featuring short story readings by Jacinta Pastor, poetry recitals by Ana Torres, and a historical presentation by Miquel Almenara on the town’s 1698 founding charter. The evening also honoured Valencian author Francesc Almela i Vives, designated Writer of the Year 2026 by the Acadèmia Valenciana de la Llengua.

The closing events culminated in an engaging roundtable discussion titled “When our Marina becomes High Literature”, where renowned local writers Elvira Cambrils, Pepa Guardiola, and Mar Busquets reflected on the literary identity of the Marina Alta, female creative representation, and the importance of writing from local roots.

Pairing local heritage with broader cultural dialogues, the second edition of Benitachell’s Literatura a la fresca festival successfully re-established its place as a standout event on the region’s summertime cultural calendar.