Festival Focuses on Reading as Resistance to Algorithmic Control
The fifth edition of the Barcelona Italian Literature Festival (FLIB) is underway, running from Thursday 22nd October to Tuesday 27th October 2026. Under the slogan "Reading to choose. Let the algorithm not decide for you," the festival positions literature as a vital tool for critical thinking and personal autonomy in an age of artificial intelligence. Organised by cultural association Le Nuvole, the Istituto Italiano di Cultura, Biblioteques de Barcelona, and the Gràcia District, FLIB takes place primarily at Espai Jove La Fontana, with additional events at the Jaume Fuster Library and Le Nuvole bookshop.
Key Events and International Authors
The programme features a range of authors including Italian novelist Domenico Starnone, graphic novelists Silvia Ziche and Raquel Riba Rossy, and crime writer Alessandro Robecchi. Catalan-Italian literary dialogue is central, with participation from local writers such as Víctor Balcells, Anna Mallamo, and Carlos Zanón. A poetry recital on Sunday 25th October will honour Nobel laureate Grazia Deledda, Federico García Lorca, Joyce Lussu, and Catalan writer Montserrat Roig. The event forms part of a broader reflection on literature’s power to preserve collective memory.
Why do we read? That central question shapes the fifth edition of FLIB.
Discussions will address pressing contemporary issues, including algorithmic bias, gender-based violence online, and the challenges of writing for teenagers in a hyperconnected world. A panel on digital misogyny will feature Silvia Semenzin and Encarni Iglesias, discussing Semenzin’s book Internet non è un posto per femmine (Internet is not a place for women).
Family and Multilingual Programmes
FLIB Junior offers workshops for children on storytelling, languages, and pop-up book illustration, led by artist Agnese Baruzzi. The Mosaic Association will host sessions on multilingualism, reflecting the festival’s commitment to linguistic diversity. Music is also part of the programme. The Sardinian jazz group Insule Lab will perform Balùmina by Ilaria Pilar Patassini at CAT on Saturday evening. The festival closes with Més llengües, més música, a multilingual concert at La Casa dels Contes.
How to Attend
All events are open to the public. The full schedule and further details are available on the Barcelona Cultura website and the official FLIB website.
Sources: L'independent de Gràcia, Ajuntament de Barcelona.
