The countdown is on for the fourth edition of 42, the Barcelona Fantastic Genres Festival. It will be held at Fabra i Coats: Fàbrica de Creació from 6 to 10 November 2024, and we already know the names of half a dozen authors who will be heading to the event: Ava Reid, Frances Hardinge, P. Djèli Clark, Albert Sánchez Piñol, Victoria Álvarez and Edgar Cantero. The festival is curated by the writer and professor Ricard Ruiz Garzón.

In this Edition, dragons will have a very prominent presence, and they can be found at the round tables, exhibitions, talks and lectures. And also the poster, signed by the illustrator Agustín Comotto. In the image, in addition to the dragon, there are sidereal seas, astronauts and ancient deities.

And the fact is that, beyond the dragons, the Festival 42 of this year 2024 will have many other thematic lines: water, scientific dissemination, youth narrative, folk horror, prescription in networks, gender tradition and current trends… More than a hundred authors, both national and international, will be taking part, this time with a special focus on European authors.

From the ‘Typescript of the Second Origin’ to ‘Matrix’

The 42, which aims to connect with fans of fantasy genres, but also with all curious readers and those who enjoy these genres perhaps without knowing it, will offer a long list of activities, including tours, workshops, lectures, humorous monologues, sessions for schools, award ceremonies…

There will be no lack of tributes either, whether through anniversaries or editions: this year they will go from Kafka to Matrix, from Shirley Jackson to Ursula K. Le Guin, from witches to mermaids, and from Cold Skin to the pioneers of science fiction. A special highlight will be the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the publication of Typescript of the Second Origin, Manuel de Pedrolo’s famous work and one of the most widely-read and best-known novels in Catalan literature.

The 42 will also include activities on related languages, with a large presence of comics, illustration, theatre and video games. Likewise, special attention will be paid to the female names of the fantastic genres and to the new sexualities that the genre has always explored. And bookshops and libraries are also preparing activities that will make up the off side of the festival and will bring its spirit to many parts of the city.

Soon all the information will be available on the website of the 42.