There’s no question that La pell freda [translated into English as Cold Skin] is one of the most significant international accomplishments of Catalan-language fantastic genres. Or that at the time of its publication in 2002, the author, Albert Sánchez Piñol, was a trailblazer in a phenomenon that, two decades later, has grown exponentially. However, the opening conversation for the 2024 edition of the 42 Festival, an unprecedented event featuring the author himself with the festival curator, Ricard Ruiz Garzón, won’t be about stating the obvious. It’s sure to touch on Sánchez Piñol’s perspective on horror, fantasy and good literature, his skill for weaving together historical and non-realist plots, his penchant for using his imagination to speak out, and the contributions of aspects such as humour, politics and anthropology... But the real draw of the conversation will be its unpredictable nature: true to his unique personality, the author of Pallassos i monstres [Clowns and Monsters], Victus and, most recently, Pregària a Prosèrpina [Prayer to Proserpina] will use two of his strengths, his mastery and creativity, to show that the basic structures of narrative, as it were, are not in the literary business of making us better humans. As he’s written on a few occasions, he believes that stories are what make us human, period.

Guest:

Albert Sánchez Piñol

Moderator:

Ricard Ruiz Garzón