Women authors achieve majority presence at Barcelona Festival 42

At the Festival 42 of Fantastic Genres in Barcelona, women authors represented more than half of the invited participants. Out of 164 authors invited to the week-long event focusing on science fiction, horror, and fantasy, 86 were women.

Festival curators Karen Madrid and Susana Vallejo noted that the high percentage is not due to quotas, but rather a reflection of the high quality of female writers and a growing female readership. This shift highlights a changing landscape in speculative fiction, where female perspectives are increasingly shaping the genres.

Experts suggest that while women have always written in these genres, historical patriarchal structures previously limited their visibility. Recent trends, including the success of authors at the Nebula and Hugo awards and the recognition of Cristina Fernández Cubas with the Cervantes Prize, indicate a significant evolution in the literary field.