The 27th edition of the “New Paths in Literature and Art” Literary Festival came to a close last night with a closing concert by the duo of singer-songwriters Eva Calero and Mario Boville, regulars on the Madrid scene who are, rather than similar, complementary. Both engage in social commentary that, through Boville’s and Calero’s poetic explorations, is conveyed through humor and introspection, respectively. By also incorporating influences from folk music and singer-songwriter traditions, they were the ideal artists to put the finishing touch on a festival that this year centered on the theme of counterculture.

“These days, alternative culture often emerges more from small towns than from cities, which are more dominated by large institutions and the media,” notes Ramiro González Coppari, president of the Luciérnaga Cultural Association, the event’s organizer. The association gives this year’s event a very positive assessment. “We’ve had a large turnout, gaining new members and attracting a younger crowd,” Coppari notes, referring to one of the group’s main challenges.

The Literary Festival, organized in collaboration with the Villanueva de los Infantes City Council, took place over an intense week of cultural activity that, as it does every year, featured a broad range of artistic disciplines and trends. Since its opening on July 17, the festival has welcomed prominent figures from the national scene, beginning with the rap workshop led by Minus CSQ. Next, Ángelo Nestore—a poet with a particular focus on the queer community—engaged in a conversation with writer and photographer Violeta Niebla on Saturday. On Monday, Elisa Terroba and Cristóbal Ascencio, artists-in-residence at the Dados Negros Center for Holography and the Arts, exhibited their work.

On Tuesday, critic and cultural manager Jordi Costa provided an overview of the history of counterculture, focusing particularly on the scenes in Seville and Barcelona; while on Wednesday, Amador Fernández Savater offered his philosophical perspective on current social issues such as sexuality and productivity. Thursday, as usual, was dedicated to film, featuring the video works of María Cañas, created using archival footage. And on Friday, novelist and comic book author Juarma offered his own take on counterculture, this time through the “ninth art.”

All in all, it was a noteworthy program of lectures and exhibitions that continues to enrich the well-established cultural offerings of summer evenings in Villanueva de los Infantes.