Noir Weeks from Gijón to Buenos Aires – International events for crime novel lovers

For nine days in July, the city of Gijón transformed into the capital of crime novels for the eighth time. The list of crime weeks is longer than many believe. Nord Noir has its Paskekrim in Norway. For four days, even children solve crime cases in schools. In Scotland, Shetland Noir one of the most important English-language events, where fans of the genre can meet their favorite authors and attend concerts and other special events.

The most recent event, Noir Week Miami, which opened its doors for the first time last August, also promises to be an interesting meeting place for Ibero-American writers.

This great Spanish tradition now finds a worthy successor in Buenos Aires. second Crime Novel Festival begins Wednesday, October 1st and will be attended by more than 80 guests. The program includes talks, tributes to great authors, and workshops. This second edition will take place at three venues: the Buenos Aires City Cultural Center, the Buenos Aires Cultural Center, and the Fondo de Cultura Económica . For four days, you can enjoy various activities completely free of charge.

The opening speech will be given by the versatile Jorge Fernández Díaz . The renowned journalist and writer was recently awarded the Mariano de Cavia Prize and also received a Platinum Konex Award. He ventured into this genre only ten years ago, creating the emblematic Remil, a secret service agent as skilled as he is shady. Fernández Díaz explained on his radio show last Saturday that he believes the noir novel was recognized Jorge Luis Borges Six Problems for Don Isidro Parodi and the novel A Model for Death .

Much has been written about the complex relationship of Argentina's most important writer with the crime genre. In a 1978 speech, Borges , discussing English-language literature, gives an overview of crime novels. He begins by describing the reader created by the crime novel, whom he calls an incredulous reader who reads with suspicion. He then claims that Edgard Allan Poe is the father of the detective story, and a few lines further on, he emphasizes that the mystery is always solved by intelligence. The crime novel, he believes, is an intellectual genre whose best representatives Wilkie Collins and Chesterton . In the end, he emphasizes that although the genre has clearly lost some of its importance due to its closeness to reality, it still has something remarkable to offer: the crime novel has maintained its classic structure despite the fluctuations in literature, and this is very commendable.

The Argentine crime novel has a long and rich history. The first Argentine crime novel, " La huella del crimen " (The Trail of Crime), was written by Waleis However, I prefer to refer to its second birth at the beginning of the 21st century. The Argentine "black wave" is characterized by the emergence of female authors who have revitalized the genre, introducing new themes and giving it a deeper social perspective. Authors such as the award-winning Claudia Piñeiro , author of " Las viudas de los jueves " (Thursday's Widows), or Florencia Etcheves, with her saga about the detective Francisco Juarez, are breaking with norms and challenging the genre.

For all crime fiction lovers, it will be a treat to be able to participate Claudia Piñeiro and Carlos Zanón , the prolific Catalan author, on the new developments in the genre on both sides of the Atlantic Thursday, October 2 ). Another magnificent presentation will surely be that of Paula Martínez (France), David Knutson (USA), and Guillermo Orsi (Argentina) on the noir tradition in America ( Saturday, October 4 ). (See full program )

A special feature of this edition is the Tour del Hampa (Underworld Tour), a guided tour of places in the San Telmo linked to real-life crimes. Starting from the Casa de la Cultura and accompanied by two renowned crime journalists, this traditional Buenos Aires will be explored on foot, stopping at places hidden from view, such as the hideout of a notorious gang of thieves or a prison hidden in the heart of the city. A must-see for anyone in Buenos Aires Friday, October 3 or Saturday, October 4, at 4 p.m.

Another unusual proposal is the Espacio Moebius ( Moebius Room ) . On the day of the event live comic strip based on the famous story " El pulpo negro" (The Black Octopus) by Narciso Ibañez Menta . This one-hour miniseries, broadcast on Canal 9 in 1985, lasted one hour. The lead actor, Spanish actor Narciso Ibañez Menta , used every theatrical means to create genuine fear.

Although it only aired for two months, it became a cult classic. Forty years later, the episodes have been digitized and can be viewed on YouTube. The comic is created using the "Cadáver Exquisito" (exquisite corpse) technique. A daring and original project that we hope you'll enjoy with us. I look forward to seeing you!