From 11 to 14 September, Hay Festival Segovia celebrates two decades of words, ideas and cultural encounters with a special programme focused on the future of Europe. To mark its 20th edition, the festival once again brings together leading voices in literature, music, design and thought in the historic city of Segovia, featuring participants from the UK’s cultural scene. The British Council is proud to support this major literary gathering once again with a programme that celebrates diversity, creativity, and the cultural ties between Spain and the United Kingdom.
On Friday 12 September, award-winning Somali-British poet Momtaza Mehri will take the stage alongside Spanish writer and theatre-maker Violeta Gil, in a conversation moderated by Cristina Ward, Director of Arts at the British Council in Spain, accompanied by a live poetry reading. Under the title Poesía del mundo, they will explore the role of poetry as a tool to question power structures. The event will take place at 12:40 h in the Aula Magna at IE University.
Momtaza Mehri is the author of the acclaimed Bad Diaspora Poems and currently Poet-in-Residence at Homerton College, University of Cambridge. Described by Bernardine Evaristo as “a truly transnational voice of the 21st century,” Mehri served as Young People’s Laureate for London and has been published in outlets such as Granta, The Poetry Review, Vogue, and The Guardian.
Violeta Gil is a theatre creator and writer. In 2004, she co-founded the company La tristura, through which she writes and directs works shown both nationally and internationally. Her poetry is published by Arrebato and her fiction by Caballo de Troya. She frequently collaborates with filmmakers and stage artists. Her new poetry collection, Andábamos maravillados, will be released this autumn. She is currently working on her second novel and her first collection of essays.
That same day, in Segovia’s Plaza Mayor, Concéntrico — the international architecture and design festival based in Logroño — arrives at Hay Festival for the first time with the support of the British Council. The event features the installation Dancing Bench by London-based studio Soft Baroque, a playful and immersive proposal that activates public space and transforms how we interact with urban furniture. Also featured is the book Concéntrico: Urban Innovation Laboratory, published by Park Books, which compiles a decade of urban interventions through 86 projects by designers, artists and architects from over 20 countries.
And on Saturday 13 September at 12:00, music takes the spotlight at the Teatro Juan Bravo with the concert Del Clasicismo al Jazz, performed by the Symphony Orchestra and Big Band of the British Council School. This intergenerational project takes the audience on a journey from classical works to contemporary and popular music, including film scores and jazz.
Other British Events
We invite you to explore other unique proposals that celebrate the ongoing relationship between the United Kingdom and Spain through the arts:
Exposición 'Lost & Found'
European Literary Map of London
Thursday 11 September 2025, 12:00 – Biblioteca Municipal Casa de la Lectura
Nick Clegg and Enrico Letta in conversation with Helena de Bertodano
Europa frente al espejo: democracia, IA y el futuro global
Friday 12 September 2025, 16:00 – 16:50 – IE University, Aula Magna
A.C. Grayling
Discriminaciones y guerras culturales
Friday 12 September 2025, 20:40 – 21:30 – IE University, Sala Capitular
William Chislett, Marta Rebón and Uta Staiger with Debbi Christophers
La mirada extranjera: escribiendo aquí y allá
Saturday 13 September 2025, 11:30 – 12:20 – Biblioteca Municipal Casa de la Lectura
Paul Preston in conversation with María José Ferrari
Desafíos de la historia
Saturday 13 September 2025, 12:40 – 13:30 – IE University, Aula Magna
Fabio Corsico, A.C. Grayling and Santiago Iñiguez with Anna Bosch
Dante y el liderazgo: ética, poder y humanidad
Saturday 13 September 2025, 18:35 – 19:25 – IE University, Aula Magna
For more information on each event, you can consult the full festival programme at this link.