The Biblioteca de México and NITRO/PRESS Publishing invites the community to celebrate the noir genre at the “Festival of the Noir Novel”
The event, in collaboration with the independent publisher Nitro/Press, will feature a variety of workshops, book presentations, lectures, and readings, as promoted by the Secretary of Culture of Mexico.
The Mexican Government’s Ministry of Culture, through the General Directorate of Libraries, invites the public to explore the noir literary genre at the “Festival of the Noir Novel,” taking place at the Biblioteca de México.
The festival, in collaboration with the independent publisher Nitro/Press, will include workshops, book presentations, lectures, and readings, as well as a film series and a display of books from the La Ciudadela library’s collections.
Activities begin on Monday, October 21, at 5:00 PM with the screening of the Mexican film El automóvil gris (1919) by director Enrique Rosas, part of the film series “City Demons.” The event will conclude on Sunday, October 27, with live readings of noir classics and the screening of Roman Polanski’s Chinatown (1974).
Additionally, on Tuesday, October 22, at 5:00 PM, the bibliographic exhibition “Detectives, Gangsters, Women, and Bullets” will open, featuring 60 comics and noir novels from the collections of the Biblioteca de México, including personal libraries of intellectuals such as Carlos Monsiváis and Alí Chumacero.
“Detectives, Gangsters, Women, and Bullets” will be on display until November 24, 2024, in the Abraham Zabludovsky gallery.
Film Series: “City Demons”
The urban setting is a hallmark of noir. Throughout the week, the Antonieta Rivas Mercado multipurpose forum will host the “City Demons” film series, showcasing titles such as The Maltese Falcon (John Huston, 1941) and Strangers on a Train (Hitchcock, 1951).
Workshop and Presentations
From October 22 to 24, a workshop titled “On the Hunt: An Approach to Noir” will be led by cultural promoter Alma Leyra Cárdenas García.
Contemporary noir authors published by NITRO/PRESS will also be highlighted through book presentations and readings, featuring works such as Los crímenes de Juan Justino and Rodrigo Cobra. Additionally, authors such as Macaria España and Tania Tinajero will read their works.
On October 23 and 24, the forum will host conferences on contemporary noir and Mexican cinema’s connection to the genre, featuring speakers like Nicolás Ferraro and Ramón Mejía.
Check out Mexico’s cultural news at the Secretary of Culture of Mexico.
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