Over 350 cultural figures back Ariana Harwicz after Granada literary festival exclusion

Program cancellation in Granada

Organizers of the Cultur-ALH International Festival of Art, Literature, and Humanities in Granada removed Argentine author Ariana Harwicz from the official program days before the event opened. Harwicz, known for novels such as "Matate, amor" and "Perder el juicio", was scheduled to participate on 26 September 2026 in a public conversation titled "Oponerse al mundo" alongside Spanish author Jesús Ortega in the Plaza de las Pasiegas. The festival opened on 21 September and runs through 27 September across multiple venues in Granada. Festival directors withdrew her invitation following pressure from activist groups, including the Red Universitaria por Palestina de Granada and a local culture club, who threatened protests over her public opposition to cultural boycotts of Israel.

Author reactions and Banville withdrawal

Harwicz denounced her removal on social media shortly before the festival began, stating that organizers told her they could not guarantee her physical safety during the event.

“They yielded to the pressure of militants. They yielded to terror.”

Following the announcement, Irish novelist and Prince of Asturias laureate John Banville cancelled his own appearance at the festival in solidarity with Harwicz. Sources close to Banville indicated that he withdrew after learning that organizers capitulated to student protests and that other festival participants had released statements arguing that freedom of expression has legal boundaries. Harwicz noted that festival management ceased communication with her after she made the cancellation public.

Solidarity manifesto from cultural figures

On 23 September 2026, an open letter signed by more than 350 cultural figures defended Harwicz and called for an end to ideological exclusions in the arts. The document was distributed in a press release by the Federation of Jewish Communities of Spain (FCJE). Signatories include authors, thinkers, and public figures such as Fernando Savater, Margo Glantz, Piedad Bonnett, Óscar Tusquets, Andrés Trapiello, Cayetana Álvarez de Toledo, María Negroni, Santiago Roncagliolo, and former French prime minister Manuel Valls. Additional signatories include Enrique Moradiellos, José Luis Pardo, Anna Caballé, Victoria Cirlot, Karina Sainz Borgo, Pola Oloixarac, Carolina Sanín, Zoé Valdés, Fernando Iwasaki, and Santiago Kovadloff.

“The democratic response to an opinion, however controversial it may be, is dialogue, questioning, public discussion, never expulsion from the program.”

Institutional response and sponsorship

The festival operates with support from institutions including the University of Granada, the Granada City Council, the Instituto Cervantes, Acción Cultural Española, and the Fundación de las Tres Culturas. On 19 September 2026, the University of Granada issued a formal statement clarifying that it did not make or endorse the decision to cancel Harwicz's participation. Signatories of the solidarity manifesto commended the university's stance while calling on the festival directors to provide a transparent account of the decision and offer public reparations. The manifesto also expressed concern regarding accusations and decontextualized statements attributed to Harwicz without allowing her an opportunity to respond.