The Fólio “has been a reflection of what we want for the future of culture in Portugal: a vibrant, open, participative culture, capable of bringing people together and inspiring transformation,” stated the minister at the inauguration of the 10th edition of the literary festival taking place in Óbidos, in the Leiria district, until the 19th.
A future that, for Margarida Balseiro, “also involves a true cultural decentralization that recognizes the value of territories and communities as spaces of creation.”
This recognition was expressed by the culture minister, who recalled that “when the first edition of Fólio filled the streets of Óbidos, few imagined that the festival would become one of the most consistent and prestigious literary platforms in the country.” However, she added, over ten years, the event has demonstrated “that culture has a transformative role, capable of revitalizing a territory, mobilizing a community, and creating economic, social, and educational value.”
In the speech marking the start of the 11-day festival—which this edition will bring to Óbidos three Nobel Prize laureates in Literature: Belarusian writer Svetlana Aleksiévitch, South African J. M. Coetzee, and Hungarian László Krasznahorkai—Margarida Balseiro asserted that “promoting literature is a cultural duty, but also a social commitment.”
It is, she added, “ensuring that every person, regardless of where they live, has access to culture, to books, and the possibility to create their own journey of discovery.” And, she concluded, “to combat asymmetries and clearly affirm that culture is not a privilege of a few, it is a right for everyone. And that is precisely what Fólio has known how to celebrate.”
The opening of Fólio today was marked by the launch of a commemorative book of the festival’s 10 years, which had its first edition in 2015, leading to the recognition of the town of Óbidos as a Unesco Creative City that same year.
The 10th edition of Fólio, themed ‘borders,’ brings nearly 800 authors to the town, participating in 464 cultural initiatives, including over a hundred discussions with writers and artists, gatherings, seminars, book launches, cinema cycles, concerts, and award ceremonies.
Fólio is organized by the municipality of Óbidos, in partnership with the municipal company Óbidos Criativa, Ler Devagar, and the Inatel Foundation.
