The Queer Culture Festival in Spanish reaffirms its status as a key celebration of queer literature, film, and music in Spanish.
In 2025, the festival honours artist and poet Perla Zuñiga by presenting an exclusive video of her poetry reading from the inaugural edition in 2021, now available on the website.
The program intertwines cultural activities with debates on historical memory and the political legacies that continue to affect LGBTQ+ communities. Featured guests include Sara Torres, Daniel Saldaña París, Laura Hojman, Ángelo Néstore, Ana Garriga and Carmen Urbita (Las Hijas de Felipe), and Ana Quiroga.
The themes to be explored include the lives and works of Agustín Gómez Arcos and Mario Bellatin, as well as Francis Bacon’s experiences in Madrid during the 1990s. Other topics will cover the lives of 16th- and 17th-century nuns, the legacies of Francoism for LGBTQ+ individuals, and a stage performance inspired by Anne Dufourmantelle’s reimagined concept of gentleness.
“The festival builds community and connects thousands of Spanish speakers in the UK with queer literature from Spain and Latin America, while offering a space for reflection on history, memory and the politics of our dissidences.
Director, Jorge Gárriz
“After five years, we can say the event has grown, especially by embracing artistic disciplines connected to Spanish literature, its authors and history. It goes beyond the written word or the act of reading. Each edition is an opportunity to revisit unresolved issues, recover overlooked voices, and reflect on queer matters in the Spanish-speaking world,”
A Map of Encounters in Subcultural London
The festival will begin on Wednesday, November 19, at 6:30 p.m. with an inaugural talk at the Spanish Embassy. Writer Sara Torres will present her new book, X is Where I Am, translated into English by Maureen Shaughnessy and published by Charco Press. She will engage in a conversation with Professor Nuria Capdevil-Argüelles from the University of Exeter. This English-language event will focus on themes of queer love, family relationships, and the challenge of “building a life around the only constant: loss.” Admission is by invitation only.
Novelist Daniel Saldaña París at October Gallery
Thursday, 20 November 20 (6:30 pm)
Daniel Saldaña París will present his novel The Dance and the Fire at October Gallery, in conversation with festival director Jorge Gárriz. The story follows three friends who reunite in Cuernavaca, Mexico, as they navigate past loves, family ties, and the impact of wildfires. Throughout their journey, ecstatic dance serves as a way to channel their anxiety and creativity. The book will be published in the UK this November by Charco Press, translated by Christina MacSweeney.
Poet Ángelo Néstore at Hundred Years Gallery
Friday, 21 November 21 (7:00 pm)
A presentation by poet Ángelo Néstore, who will discuss their debut novel, Leche Cruda (Raw Milk), in conversation with Gárriz. The book explores the limits of communication and queer imagination and examines whether love can exist beyond a shared language. Its synopsis poses the intriguing question: “Could crossing the borders between human and animal help bridge the gap that separates us?”
The evening will also feature the screening of seven short films by queer Spanish and Latin American filmmakers, curated by the collective Cinema Mentiré, under the title Fables, Chronicles and Love Letters. The selection includes the following films: Carta a Lady (Ariel Nahon, Argentina, 2019), Pytagua/Extranjere (Sara J. Quintana, Paraguay, 2023), Calypso (Annalisa D. Quagliata, Mexico, 2016), El mundo es afuera (Pablo Roldán Fernández, Colombia, 2024), El sueño de Ana (José Luis Torres Leiva, Chile, 2017), La noche del minotauro (Juliana Zuluaga Montoya, Colombia, 2023), and 11 de septiembre (Cristina Peri Rossi, Uruguay/Spain). The evening will conclude with an exclusive live listening session of Ana Quiroga’s new album, FILE COPY.
Rio Cinema screen Un hombre libre
Saturday, 22 November 22 (4:00 pm)
A documentary directed by Laura Hojman that explores the life of exiled Spanish writer Agustín Gómez Arcos. This film portrays his journey as a celebrated yet censored author and invites reflection on themes of memory, silence, and identity in Spain’s recent history.
Pulsión de dulzura (Drive of Sweetness) at The Divine
Saturday, 22 November 22 (7:30 pm)
Written and performed by Sara Torres, Carmen Rojas, Karelis Zabrano, and Malena Casado. This production will reinterpret Anne Dufourmantelle’s essay, exploring how gentleness can dismantle dualistic structures of body, desire, and language, while “challenging the philosophical tradition that distrusts emotion.”
The official fifth-anniversary party at Stokey Hall
Saturday, 22 November 22 (10:00 pm)
The celebration will feature DJ Selbor and Larga DJ, in collaboration with Lady Olé, and will highlight queer music and Spanish culture in London. The event aims to connect the Spanish LGBTQIA+ community with a broader pan-European audience and establish itself as a benchmark event for Eurovision fans, according to the organisers.
Ana Garriga and Carmen Urbita at The Divine
Sunday, 23 November 23 (7:00 pm)
The creators of the acclaimed podcast Las Hijas de Felipe, for a presentation of their essay titled Convent Wisdom. This work explores the lives of 16th- and 17th-century nuns whose independence and rebellious spirit can inspire us in today’s chaotic world. “These nuns were clever, defiant, and surprisingly modern—their lives hold astonishing lessons for our times,” the authors note.
Panel Discussion at The Cervantes Institute
Tuesday, 25 November (6:30 pm)
A panel discussion titled “The Legacies of Francoism for the LGBTQ+ Community.” This event will focus on various topics, including the persecution of lesbians in religious spaces, gender-dissident archives, and re-education centres for homosexuals. The panel speakers will include Moisés Fernández Cano, Daniela Ferrández Pérez, and Víctor M. Ramírez, all specialists in historical memory and queer studies.
Revisions: Queer Podcasts ad hoc
Online activities will feature special podcast editions that revisit key figures and moments related to the festival’s themes. Juanra San and Bernardo Pajares will present a live edition of “Arte Compacto,” focusing on Francis Bacon’s time in 1990s Madrid. This edition is based on their book, “Pasiones Creativas,” which explores Bacon’s love life and its influence on his unsettling paintings. Join us for this event on November 23 at 5:30 p.m. (The Divine).
Three exclusive podcasts will be available online from 19 – 30 November 2025:
1. Las chicas del Volcán – This podcast will explore ephebophobia and gay literary archetypes through the works of writers such as Álvaro Pombo, Jesús Alviz, Luis Antonio de Villena, and Manuel Mujica Lainez.
2. Pequeños Bastardos – Hosted by Luis Romeri, this podcast will feature discussions with Gonzalo Valdés Medellín and Erik Meneses. They will share their inspirations, reading habits, and thoughts on the contested label of “gay literature.”
3. Niños Gratis – This podcast will include historian Nacho Moreno Segarra and writer-editor Sabina Urraca. They will focus on Mario Bellatin, a celebrated and controversial Mexican queer author known for his experimental novels and international acclaim.
Looking South: Studying Queer Experience
The fifth Festival of Queer Culture in Spanish reaffirms its commitment to visibility, diversity, artistic innovation and historical memory, becoming a cultural landmark for the LGBTQ+ community in London. Over the years, it has evolved beyond a mere festival into a safe and reflective space that amplifies the voices of artists and writers exploring queer experiences across the Spanish-speaking world. Past participants include Camila Sosa, Eva Baltasar, Luisgé Martín, Pol Guasch, Christo Casas, Ariel Florencia Richards, Paco Bezerra, Elizabeth Duval, Paco y Manolo, Carlos Barea, Eddi Circa, and Fernando López Rodríguez.
About Romancero Books
Romancero Books, an online bookstore and cultural platform based in London and directed by Jorge Gárriz, offers literature from Spain and Latin America, with a particular focus on works by women authors. The store collaborates with both major and independent publishers and curates a diverse catalogue that covers figures such as Lorca, the Generation of ’27, writers in exile and diaspora, and emerging LGBTQ+ voices.
The Sponsors
The event is sponsored by the Spanish Embassy in the UK, Spain Culture & Science UK, Acción Cultural Española (AC/E) through its PICE program for internationalising Spanish culture, the Cervantes Institute London, Hackney Council and its Hackney PRIDE 365 program, the Mexican Embassy in the UK, and Diversitas Institute. It also receives support from Latin American House, CLAUK: Coalition of Latin Americans in the UK, SRUK/CERU: Spanish Researchers in the UK, SpainU, Lady Olé, Gay’s The Word, Cinema Mentiré, The Poetry Translation Centre, and venues The Divine, Hundred Years Gallery, Rio Cinema, and October Gallery.
