Tacoronte Historical Novel Festival Honors Women’s Role in Canarian Identity

The sixth annual Tacoronte Historical Novel Festival is highlighting the role of women in shaping island identity. This year, the event honors author María del Mar Rodríguez, whose trilogy, Relatos de unas islas desamparadas (Tales of Forsaken Islands), preserves the stories of Canarian women from the mid-19th to the late 20th century.

This tribute aligns with the festival’s theme, "Canarian Sensibility and Mentality," which explores how women have helped build the archipelago’s history. Supported by local authorities and the Cabildo of Tenerife, the festival runs from November 5 to 15 at the Casa de la Cultura and the Auditorio Capitol in Tacoronte, aiming to use history as a tool for social reflection.

The program features 42 diverse activities and 27 authors, including Jordi Sierra i Fabra, Mario Escobar, Juan Francisco Ferrándiz, and José Zoilo, alongside local writers like José Farrujia de la Rosa and Sandra Segura. A key highlight will be the award ceremony for Rodríguez on November 14, which coincides with the 5th Historical Research Conference of the Tacoronte-Acentejo region, led by experts from the University of La Laguna.

The festival also blends different art forms. The schedule includes theatrical performances like Rodríguez’s La tuerta and Antonio Tabares’s La inmortalidad. Additionally, the Tacoronte Short Film Festival, directed by Elisa Cano, explores collective memory under the theme "Silence is also history." This cinematic program features classic films like Mararía and the 1934 production Grand Canary, along with various workshops and contests.

Now in its sixth year, the festival has become a significant cultural fixture. By combining academic research, literature, and film, it serves as a vital space for analyzing Canarian heritage and connecting the past to modern civic life.