The theme, “inspired by philosopher Silvia Federici,” allows, according to the mayor of Óbidos, Filipe Daniel, “to integrate body, territory, care, ecology, and memory into a single gesture.”
At the closing of the 10th edition of the Fólio festival, which brought around 800 authors and creators to the town to participate in over 460 events centered on books and reading, the mayor stated that this theme invites “a consideration not only of the body but of everything the body needs to live—the earth, water, air, and the common good.”
Filipe Daniel further noted that “beyond the skin, the body of the world begins.”
Reflecting on the edition that marked the 10th anniversary of Fólio, Filipe Daniel described it as “memorable” and “full of meaning,” with the event running from the 9th of the month until today under the theme ‘Borders.’
There were eleven days “of intense sharing, where literature traversed languages, continents, and sensitivities,” showcasing that “culture unites communities and projects Óbidos to the world,” he stated.
According to the organizers, the 10th edition of Fólio was visited by approximately 100,000 people who attended more than a hundred conversations between authors and the public, 15 author panels, gatherings, seminars, book launches, concerts, and award ceremonies.
Among the highlights were two Nobel Prize winners in Literature—Belarusian writer Svetlana Alexievich and South African author J. M. Coetzee. Also participating at the Literary Village tent were American authors Anne Applebaum and Lionel Shriver, Israeli Avi Shlaim, Spaniard Fernando Aramburu, Irishman Paul Murray, and French Pierre Singaravélou.
The festival program also featured seven concerts, 21 exhibitions, film screenings, and play talks with music artists, celebrating the 20th anniversary of the publishing house Tinta da China and the 40th anniversary of Portugal’s accession to the European Union.
Organized by the municipality of Óbidos, in partnership with the municipal company Óbidos Criativa, Ler Devagar, and the Inatel Foundation, Fólio has been held since 2015 in the town, which is designated as a Creative City of Literature by UNESCO.
