The Vargas Llosa Chair, together with the International Freedom Foundation, is holding for the third time a new Annual Conference with the aim of promoting the Word in Spanish and to endorse its commitment to the promotion of freedom in the Spanish-speaking world.
On Friday 6 October 2023, the Vargas Llosa Chair will hold the conference "A meeting for culture in freedom", in an event that will be unforgettable and of great projection for the culture that has already become a key meeting point for Ibero-American society, politics and culture.
The event will take place between 12:00 and 19:00 at Mario Sandoval's El Jaral de la Mira (San Lorenzo de El Escorial).
In this third edition, the Nobel Prize for Literature, Mario Vargas Llosa, will be accompanied by prominent representatives from the world of culture, literature, the arts, education and the public and private sectors, such as writers, artists, academics, journalists, businessmen and politicians. Among those attending will be prominent personalities such as Javier Cercas, Félix de Azua, Felipe Calderón, Cayetana Álvarez de Toledo, Esperanza Aguirre, Cayetano Rivera, Santiago Muñoz Machado and Álvaro Vargas Llosa, among others.
All of them will meet with the aim of promoting and supporting culture and literary creation in what can be considered the great festival of freedom.
Guests will enjoy a variety of activities such as music, shows and talks.
The meal, which will consist of an Ibero-American lunch, will be hosted by the two Michelin-starred chef Mario Sandoval.
The Vargas Llosa Chair
The Vargas Llosa Chair was created in 2011 with the aim of materialising in an institution the work that Mario Vargas Llosa has carried out for decades. Its objectives are, therefore, to encourage the study of contemporary literature, promote interest in reading and writing, support new Ibero-American literary creation, analyse the ideas of our time and develop models of technological innovation for education, research and scientific and cultural dissemination, as well as disseminating the work of Mario Vargas Llosa (2010 Nobel Prize for Literature). To achieve this, it carries out academic, creative and dissemination activities, such as prizes for novels, historical stories, journalism, literary competitions and festivals, grants, seminars, conferences, courses, colloquiums and support for new writers.
The different initiatives of the Chair also aim to recognise the work and literature of established writers, as well as being a way of promoting new talents. Some of the most outstanding prizes organised by the Chair are the Mario Vargas Llosa Novel Biennial, the Vargas Llosa Novel Prize, the "Emilia Pardo Bazán" Historical Short Story Prize, the Young Journalism Prize and the "El Desafío" Short Story Competition. In addition, it organises events of the relevance of the Literary Festival of America and Europe "Escribidores", among others.
The Chair also collaborates with companies and cultural and educational institutions in Spain, Mexico, Peru, Colombia, the United States, France and Sweden, and brings together universities that have awarded honorary degrees or other relevant distinctions to the writer.
The International Freedom Foundation
The International Freedom Foundation (FIL), chaired by Mario Vargas Llosa, was founded in October 2002 with the main objective of defending those principles whose establishment constitutes the basis of democracy, freedom and prosperity. It was set up on the initiative of a group of intellectuals and think tank leaders from both sides of the Atlantic (United States, Latin America and Europe). The Vargas Llosa Chair is attached to the International Freedom Foundation, although it is an individual project of the latter.
