The Xàbia Negra festival closed its sixth edition this past Sunday. An event that recorded massive public attendance during the three days in each of the scheduled activities. One of the most notable events was when the writer Lorenzo Silva received, from the hands of the mayor Rosa Cardona, the presentation of the La Criminala award.
La Criminala Award
This award recognizes the contribution to the noir genre of the creator of the civil guard couple Bevilacqua and Chamorro, of which 13 novels have been published, and a total work of 83 books, which have earned him, among others, the Nadal, the Planet or the Critical Eye.
In addition, Silva has led one of the largest cultural festivals in our country, Getafe Negro, for 14 years. The delivery and subsequent conversation took place at the House of Culture, which brought together more than a hundred people.
"I am delighted. I don't receive as many recognitions as people think, but in the Valencian Community I am especially loved and I am grateful for this award, which is added to, for example, that of Valencia Negra. I took away from Xàbia a great experience and an indelible memory, for which I thank the Town hall and to the organization of the event,” said the award-winning novelist.
Battle of writers
In addition to Lorenzo Silva, other authors such as Ramón Palomar, Elisa Ferrer, Paz Velasco, Noemí Trujillo, Vicente Garrido, María Suré, Joan Carles Ventura, Salva Alemany and Virgilio Latorre attended the sixth edition of the crime novel festival.
The criminologist Paz Velasco was the winner of the battle of writers, in which Elisa Ferrer, Salva Alemany and Joan Carles Ventura also participated.
Increase in audience
After a previous edition that doubled attendance at the festival, the sixth edition of Xàbia Negra has experienced a 50% increase in public attendance, going from 400 to more than 600 people in the different activities organized between Friday and Sunday . Meetings with authors, reading clubs, literary vermouth, battle of writers and short film comxicotetion. These figures represent a quantitative leap in public support for this festival, which is celebrated in autumn to diversify the municipality's tourist offer.
The mayor of Xàbia, Rosa Cardona, made a “very positive assessment of an edition that has brought us three very intense days to which the local public has responded with enthusiasm. “We want to express our gratitude to all the people and groups involved in the festival during these three days.”
Story and short film awards
In addition to the La Criminala award, the festival gave out other prizes. First of all, the Story Contests in Spanish and Valencian organized by the IES Antonio Llidó and the IES La Mar from Xàbia, which were delivered by the winner of the Tusquets award, Elisa Ferrer, to the students Carmen Bas Vidal and Ana Robles López.
At Short Film Comxicotetion by the Escola de Cinema Riu Rau, the award went to the team formed by Victoria Barona, Aiala Mendizábal and Lorena Watt, with the short titled BlasfemmeFatale. The jury has awarded this work for its fresh and original content, far removed from the conventions of the genre.
The commitment to cultural projects of interest
La Councilor for Culture Xàbia, Mavi Pérez Font also evaluated this sixth edition of Xàbia Negra very positively. “We are very happy with the level of this edition and the attendance at the festival. We continue to focus on cultural projects of interest to citizens,” said Pérez.
For his part, Santiago Álvarez, director of the contest, pointed out that “Xàbia is undoubtedly a very special town. The people, the climate, the heritage of this town mesh with the fresh, interesting and fun-filled proposal that we propose this edition. We believe that, regardless of the level of the guests being excellent, the festival can still develop further and bring together other initiatives of the municipality, serving as a cultural platform for them.”
