3rd International Literary Festival – FLII Words of Fire – in honour of the victims of the forest fires

Arte-Via Cooperativa, based in Lousã, launches the 3rd edition of the International Literary Festival of the Interior – Words of Fire, in honour of the victims of the forest fires, under the motto “Art and culture as revival of a region and of a people”. This festival is sponsored by the Presidency of the Republic, and CCDRC, Regional Delegation of Culture, University of Coimbra, RBE, Caring for the Future Foundation and Casa Fernando Namora as associated partners.

This is an innovative event, which will take place in twelve municipalities affected by the fires, and intends to take books and writers to the most unusual and unpredictable places, such as factories, fields, beaches, churches, markets, locals where people work, live and socialize, the books go to meet people because they miss them too.

Dedicated to Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo and the 90th anniversary of her birth, as well as Fernando Namora and his centenary, and with the transversal theme “Caring for the Future”, we intend to address crucial issues for the future of the world, naming the environmental emergency. This festival brings together the municipalities of Castanheira de Pera, Figueiró dos Vinhos, Penela, Arganil, Tábua, Ansião, Alvaiázere, S. Pedro do Sul, the ADFP Miranda do Corvo Foundation, and the Mário da Cunha Brito, Penacova Foundation, the public libraries and school library networks will be essential in the organization of FLII.

Taking place between 13 and 17 June 2020, FLII – Words of Fire aims to involve all development agents, from all participating municipalities, all local talents, in all activities to be carried out simultaneously: training, competitions, lectures, workshops, readings, book fairs, shows, multimedia, performances, installations, exhibitions, for and with all audiences of all age groups.

The concept behind this festival is that of a synergistic achievement, catalysing the resources of the municipalities and other consortium member institutions, making the best of each one, in a joint effort to overcome adversity and, in the name of the regenerative word, where there are people there will be books. They will be in the most unexpected places, at the hands of those who want to read them, the Portuguese and foreign writers will go to the most amazing places, the books and words will once again bring colour back into the blackness.

In this edition will be launched the book that was awarded in the 1st edition of the literary prize FLII – Words of Fire, sponsored by the Regional Directorate of Culture of the Centre, and during the month of June there will be again a literary residence, whose guests will be present in all municipalities. of the consortium.

This festival is already partnered by a number of international counterparts: Fraktura, Croatia, FliPoços, Brazil, Fliaraxá, Brazil, Galway Literary Festival, Ireland, Vilenica International Literary Festival, Slovenia, Salt World, Cape Verde, Book Worm, China, Moscow International Book Fair, Russia, Goa Arts & Literature Festival, India, Chepén Chepén Poetry Festival, Peru, among others.

“We will hear the protest wherever it comes, and in the chorus of dissonant and sometimes antagonistic aspirations we will pay attention to the silence of those who remain voiceless in society. The struggle we are fighting is against time – to push it, as the poet says, to meet future cities, so that new paths are drawn so that they do not unnecessarily walk the path of others’ disenchantment. The place where we fight is here and far. It is our real, concrete problems of the people we are, but they are also the problems of the world from afar. Because the whole problem is today universal and planetary… we must accept to share the destiny of the whole humanity. »

Maria de Lourdes Pintasilgo

More on: www.arte-via.org