Tacoronte Festival Marks Jane Austen 250th with Espido Freire

The 5th Tacoronte Historical Novel Festival, organized by the City Council and supported by the Cabildo de Tenerife, is celebrating the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen's birth (1775-1817) this Sunday and Monday. The event will explore her life and work, look at the role of women in literature and history, and highlight how she used writing to challenge the norms of her time.

A key guest at the festival is Espido Freire (born in Bilbao, 1974), one of Spain's most acclaimed writers. Her work includes novels, essays, children's and young adult books, short stories, and plays. She has also written several books about Jane Austen.

Her latest is the essay Dos tardes con Jane Austen (2025). In this book, she aims to give a more critical and realistic view of Austen, moving away from the common, often simplified, public image of the British novelist.

On Sunday at 12:00 PM, Espido Freire will present this book with Arantxa Rufo. Their discussion will take place in the Óscar Domínguez room at Tacoronte's House of Culture. Both writers will discuss Austen's literary impact, the significance of her writing, the role of women in her time, her complex character, and what made her one of history's most important authors.

Later that afternoon, at 5:30 PM, the Tacoronte Dance School will recreate traditional 19th-century dances, with Espido Freire narrating. Attendees will be transported back two centuries as the Plaza del Cristo turns into a grand ballroom for this immersive show.

On Monday at 12:00 PM, an exhibition titled Jane Austen and Her Time: Words That Portrayed an Era will open in the Álvaro Fariña Álvarez room of the House of Culture. Espido Freire will also be there for the opening.

For the full program of the 5th Tacoronte Historical Novel Festival, which continues until November 16, visit tacorontehistorica.es.