Cultural journalist David Guzman has been appointed as the curator for the thirteenth edition of the MOT festival, which will be held between Olot and Girona in March 2027. The festival will explore the theme of family through literature, with the first confirmed participants including Italian author Veronica Raimo, national writer Eider Rodríguez, and Catalans Antònia Carré-Pons, Roser Cabré-Verdiell, Ramon Solsona, and Jordi Puntí.
The first segment of MOT 2027 is scheduled to take place in Girona from 4 to 6 March, followed by events in Olot from 11 to 13 March. This year's festival aims to delve into how literature has portrayed familial relationships, addressing not only biological connections but also the cultural, emotional, and symbolic constructs of family. Guzman emphasises that the festival will consider non-normative families, chosen families, and the complexities of parenthood and kinship.
Quim Ayats and Bartrina, Deputy Mayor and Councillor for Culture at the Girona City Council, remarked, "MOT is a solid commitment to literature and culture, exemplifying collaboration between Girona and Olot. This edition invites us to reflect on family through the diverse and enriching perspectives of writers, reaffirming literature's ability to connect and provoke thought."
The theme of family has inspired a vast literary legacy, spanning foundational narratives to contemporary novels, poetry, comics, theatre, and memoirs. The MOT programme will feature a variety of works that have represented and examined family dynamics throughout history. Guzman notes that there are as many narratives about family as there are families in the world.
Among the confirmed authors, Antònia Carré-Pons will present her award-winning novel La gran familia, which follows the divergent paths of two sisters bound by blood, memory, and expectations. Roser Cabré-Verdiell's Que mueran los hijos de los otros challenges the notion of family as a refuge, revealing the unsettling secrets and fears that can lurk beneath the surface of everyday life.
Ramon Solsona will showcase his works El callejón de la chocolate and El hombre de la maleta, which reflect on childhood memories and the complexities of parent-child relationships. Eider Rodríguez's Materiales de construcción explores familial ties and the silences that shape love and connection. The first international confirmation is Veronica Raimo, whose acclaimed novel Nada es verdad dissects the fictions and dynamics of her own family with sharp humour and irony.
Guzman, who holds degrees in Journalism and Literary Theory, has a rich background in cultural journalism, having directed and presented various programmes on Catalunya Ràdio and worked with notable publications such as El Periódico and La Vanguardia. He also teaches at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and the Universitat de Barcelona.
The MOT festival is organised by the City Councils of Girona and Olot, with support from the Girona Provincial Council and the Department of Culture of the Generalitat de Catalunya. Since its inception, the festival has featured over 500 writers and has addressed themes such as "fantastic literature," "writing cities," and "literature and fear," among others.
