BCNegra crime fiction festival returns for 20th anniversary edition

BCNegra crime fiction festival returns to Barcelona for its 20th anniversary edition from February 10-16, 2025, with a lineup of top authors and events.

The festival for fans of dark literature will center around the Mediterranean cities of Barcelona, Marseille, and Naples, exploring their similarities as port cities with rich multicultural identities.

BCNegra 2025 will welcome some of the leading contemporary authors in the genre, including Donna Leon, Benjamin Black, Dominique Manotti, Manuel Rivas, Arnaldur Indriðason, and Yasmina Khadra, who will receive the Pepe Carvalho Award.

There will be 44 events with over 130 participants at venues Paral·lel 62, La Paloma and Mooby Bosque, including roundtables, music, theater, book clubs, and film screenings.

Sense of discomfort

The festival aims to go beyond showcasing new books, focusing on themes of social justice, marginalized characters, and the journey of solving conflicts.

It will break away from typical crime fiction tropes like psychopathic villains and mystery-solving formulas.

Instead, it will emphasize the societal and personal dimensions of crime stories, offering thought-provoking narratives that leave readers with a sense of discomfort.

At a press conference to present the program, Barcelona’s Culture and Creative Industries Councillor, Xavier Marcé, and the festival curator, Carlos Zanón, said their hope is for the festival to be more than just a "showcase of novelties" or a gathering of authors.

"We aim for it to have a purpose," Zanón said.

Barcelona, Marseille, Naples

On Thursday, February 6, the festival exhibition will open at the Jaume Fuster Library offering a portrait of three cities: Barcelona, Marseille, and Naples.

A roundtable will be held with representatives from all three cities: writer Margarida Aritzeta (Barcelona), poet Jean Poncet (Marseille), and artist Enrico Ianniello (Naples), moderated by writer and university professor Anna Maria Vilallonga.

The festival will also feature discussions with writers on topics like childhood trauma, violence, and the blurred lines between reality and fiction. 

Algerian writer Yasmina Khadra, the pseudonym of Mohammed Moulessehoul, will receive the prestigious Pepe Carvalho Award in a ceremony on February 13 at the Saló de Cent in Barcelona City Hall. This will be the first time the festival honors an African author.

Other writers set to appear at the festival include Virginia Feito, Lluís Riera, François Thomazeau, Sara Barquinero, Martin Suter, Ivy Pochoda, Andreu Martin, Jo Alexander, Javier Argüello, Ann Cleeves, Pepe Correa, Diego Muzzio, Reynaldo Setcases, Albert Pijuan, Greta García, Mariantuá Correa, and Lluís Llort.