Barcelona’s FLIB 2026 invites readers to choose for themselves
From 22 to 27 October, the fifth Italian Literature Festival brings books, languages and people together. Domenico Starnone opens a programme combining current debates, theatre, music and family activities.
Why read when a screen can suggest almost everything? FLIB takes this question as its starting point, turning Barcelona into a meeting place for Italian literature and the city’s voices. The fifth Italian Literature Festival runs from 22 to 27 October 2026: discussions and performances from 22 to 25 October, followed by two days devoted to writing.
Reading as a space for independent thought
The programme explores how books can help us make more informed choices. Reading becomes part of the conversation about artificial intelligence, relationships and everyday life shaped by algorithms. People remain at its centre: writers, readers and anyone looking to stories for a way to understand the present.
Starnone opens the festival
On Thursday 22 October, Espai Jove La Fontana hosts the opening evening with Domenico Starnone. The event forms part of the twenty-sixth Week of the Italian Language in the World, dedicated this year to Italian as a language for imagining, designing and creating.
That evening also brings together Chiara Faggiolani and Marina Garcés to discuss the power of stories. Their conversation reflects FLIB’s approach: connecting cultures through different literary experiences and perspectives.
Comics, algorithms and fresh questions
Silvia Ziche and Raquel Riba Rossy bring comics into the discussion of contemporary life. Silvia Semenzin and Encarni Iglesias examine algorithms and patriarchy, while Alessandro Robecchi and Víctor Balcells consider the contradictions of a connected world. The programme also pairs Dario Ferrari with Patricio Pron, and Anna Mallamo with Silvana Vogt.
Poetry brings together Piero Salabè, Carlos Zanón, Nuria Mirabet and Fabio Pusterla. These encounters broaden the idea of a literary gathering, moving between social questions, imagination and the possibilities of language.
A festival to hear and experience
Alongside the discussions are the Catalan-language theatre production Solitud a Stromboli and Ilaria Pilar Patassini’s concert Balùmina. Multilingual workshops involve adults and families, while FLIB Junior offers activities for younger audiences.
Biblioteca Jaume Fuster also hosts Il mondo di Alessandro Baricco, an exhibition produced by Barcelona’s Italian Cultural Institute. On 26 and 27 October, Lilith Moscon leads Geografie d’inchiostro at Libreria Le Nuvole, a writing course exploring places and their stories. Registration is required.
Established through Libreria Le Nuvole and held annually since 2022, FLIB continues to build a Mediterranean literary dialogue. Check the festival’s updated official programme for times, venues and participation details.