The professors of Aesthetics and Theory of the Arts of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB), Jèssica Jaques and Gerard Vilar, have participated in the program Un restaurante caníbal en Berlín of Catalunya Ràdio, broadcasted last Sunday, March 30, 2025. The authors explained the relationship between art and food, based on their latest book Pensar con el paladar. Una estética gustatoria, published in December with the Publications Service of the UAB.

The program has been broadcasted at the Picasso Museum in Barcelona, taking advantage of the fact that these days it is hosting the exhibition "From Montmartre to Montparnasse. Catalan artists in Paris, 1889-1914", full of photographs and paintings of cafes, where the authors have shown how food is an essential way to know the world.

You will find the program cut at minute 10:

The deadline for entries for the literary prizes, organised annually by the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB) and the Cerdanyola del Vallès Town Council, closed in February. This year, a total of 162 original works have been submitted, of which, after reviewing the performance of the rules, 51 have been shortlisted for the novel prize, 53 for the poetry prize and 43 for the short story prize.

This year, the 16th ‘Caterina Albert’ Short Narrative Prize for Young People, worth 500 euros; the 30th ‘Miquel Martí i Pol’ Poetry Prize, worth 1,000 euros; and the 31st ‘Valldaura - Memorial Pere Calders’ Novel Prize, worth 3,000 euros.

The members of the juries for each prize are currently reviewing the works and their verdict will be announced on Friday, 16 May, at 12 noon, at the prize-giving ceremony to be held at the UAB Theatre Hall.

The event will be hosted by journalist Marta Ejarque, and will be attended by the vice-rector of Communication of the UAB, Virginia Luzón Fernández, and the mayor of Cerdanyola del Vallès Town Council, Carlos Cordón Núñez. Also taking part will be the councillors of Cerdanyola del Vallès Town Council, Andrea Borrego Valero and Concepción Martínez Rodríguez, the cultural technician of the Town Council and secretary of the jury of the 16th ‘Caterina Albert’ Short Narrative Prize for Young People, Cristina Ruedas, the director of the UAB Publications Service and secretary of the jury of the 30th ‘Miquel Martí i Pol’ Poetry Prize, Joan Carles Marset, and the member of the jury of the 31st ‘Valldaura - Memorial Pere Calders’ Novel Prize, David Vidal Castell. The event will be enlivened by the performance of the classical and contemporary string quartet Moana.

2024's books

Last October, the UAB Publications Service published the winning works of the 2024 Literary Awards, which were officially presented on 7 November at the Institut Pozas in Cerdanyola del Vallès. Carla Clúa Alcón, with her work Pausa, sucre, Sevilla, was the winner of the 15th ‘Caterina Albert’ short story prize for young people. Josep Antoni Aguilar Àvila, with the work Ballar amb els espectres, and Josep Domènech Ponsatí, with the work Saliendo de hacer, were declared the ex-aequo winners of the 29th ‘Miquel Martí i Pol’ poetry prize. Miquel Ribas Figueras, with his work Ilha do Farol, became the winner of the XXX ‘Valldaura-Memorial Pere Calders’ novel prize.

The same event included the presentation of the call for entries for the 2025 edition of the awards, which received entries until last February. The different juries for each type of prize (novel, poetry and short story) are made up of prominent figures from the current literary and academic scene, winners of the prizes in previous editions and people linked to the town of Cerdanyola del Vallès.

The City Council of Cerdanyola del Vallès and the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona announced yesterday the winners of the 2024 literary awards. Carla Clúa Alcón (Reus) with the work Pausa, sucre, Sevilla, presented under the pseudonym “América”, is the winner of the XV short story prize for young people “Caterina Albert”, endowed with 500 euros. Josep Antoni Aguilar Àvila (València), with the work Ballar amb els espectres, presented under the pseudonym “Sparverius”; and Josep Domènech Ponsatí (Sant Feliu de Guíxols), with the work Eixint de fer, presented under the pseudonym “Armand Polito”, are the ex-aequo winners of the XXIX poetry prize “Miquel Martí i Pol”, endowed with 1,000 euros. Miquel Ribas Figueras (Cabrils) with the work Ilha do Farol, presented under the pseudonym “Nuno Bolotas”, was the winner of the XXX novel prize “Valldaura-Memorial Pere Calders”, endowed with 3,000 euros. In this edition, a total of 192 works have opted for the prizes, of which 25 have participated in the short story, 85 in the poetry and 82 in the novel prize. These figures are the highest since 2002, when the organizers decided to merge their respective contests and start their call for entries jointly. The winning works will be published by the UAB Publications Service and will be presented in November in Cerdanyola del Vallès.

During the ceremony, Carmen Alcolea, member of the jury of the Short Narrative Prize, was in charge of reading the minutes of the meeting of the jury of this same award, where she said that the winning story Pausa, sucre, Sevilla stands out for its “careful style, evocative lexicon, own idiolect and interior monologue”.

For his part, Joan Carles Marset, director of the Publications Service of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and secretary of the jury of the Poetry Prize, explained that this is the first time that a prize has been awarded ex-aequo to two participants. The editor argued that the jury unanimously agreed on the high quality of both works. Specifically, on Ballar amb els espectres, the jury highlights the narrative dimension that gives the poems, with a very intelligent use of different mythological legacies. Likewise, with respect to Eixint de fer, the jury highlighted aspects such as its lexical richness and use of stylistic resources, or its sharp, intellectual and sensual sense of humor.

Finally, Marset read the deliberation of the Novel Prize, where the jury has defended that Ilha do Farol is worthy of the prize for being well written, having a rich language, a prolix style and using the pretext of the apocalypse or the end of the world with a contained and quite original approach. Likewise, the members of the jury agreed that the work shows a taste for narrative, branching out into collateral stories, and that it also makes a notable use of humor or sarcasm, which serves to include elements of social criticism.

The awards ceremony was also attended by representatives of the two institutions organizing the awards, including Javier Lafuente Sancho, Rector of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; Rosa María Sebastián, Vice Rector of Innovation, Transfer and Entrepreneurship at the UAB; Margarita Freixas y Alás, Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy and Letters of the UAB; Carlos Cordón, Mayor of the City Council of Cerdanyola del Vallès; and David González Chanca, Councilor of Culture, Communication and EMD of Bellaterra of the City Council of Cerdanyola del Vallès.

The actor Carles Cruces presented the event, which was enlivened by the performances of the UAB Chamber Choir and the poetic recital Marçal sentida, by Sofia Oliva (alumni and predoctoral student of the UAB) and Laia Solé (student of the UB), who paid tribute to the work of Àngel Guimerà and Maria-Mercè Marçal, respectively. In addition, the awards ceremony was broadcast live on the YouTube channel of the UAB, where the video of the event will also be published soon.

Writer Arià Paco, winner of the 26th Llibres Anagrama Novel Prize 2025, will present his book Teoria del joc on Thursday, October 16, at 7 p.m., in the Enric Granados Hall at Cerdanyola’s Central Library.

Teoria del joc (Anagrama, 2025) is a novel that reflects on vulnerability and the contradictions between new masculinities and feminism. Through the voice of Ernest, the main character, the story delves into desire, guilt, love, seduction, and other intimate and shared experiences — from sexual awakening to romantic relationships, the influence of social media, and contemporary social transformations.

Arià Paco is no stranger to Cerdanyola: in 2020, he won the Valldaura – Memorial Pere Calders Novel Prize, organized by the Autonomous University of Barcelona and the Cerdanyola City Council, with his novel Mentir a les mosques, published by the UAB Publications Service.

The event is part of the Cafè amb lletres series, organized by the Cerdanyola City Council in collaboration with local bookstores (Éfora, L’Aranya, and Lilliput). The session will be moderated by journalist and writer Llucia Ramis, and admission is free until full capacity is reached.

The 42nd Catalan Book Week will take place from 20 to 29 September and, this year, it will be held, exceptionally, on Passeig Lluís Companys in Barcelona. A central, wide and easily accessible location, ideal for enjoying books and open-air activities.

Once again this year, the Publications Service of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona will be present through the Vives University Network (XVU). New publications such as Les arrels del capvepre, Tot un món en català, Didàctica de la física per a l’educació secundària obligatòria, o Càlcul en variable complexa, will be presented at module number 80, together with other publications from university publishers affiliated with the XVU.

The presentation of the winning works of the Joan Lluís Vives awards for university publishing 2024 is scheduled for Tuesday 23 September. The event will take place at 11:15 am, on stage 1.

From September 19 to 28, the 43rd Catalan Book Week will take place, which for the second consecutive year will be held on Passeig de Lluís Companys in Barcelona, a central, spacious, easily accessible location, ideal for enjoying books and outdoor activities.

Once again, the Publications Service of the Autonomous University of Barcelona will be present through the Vives University Network (XVU). New releases such as  Perla marina, resina de pi. Apunts de poesia catalana de principi de segle, Pompeu Fabra a Badalona. Història d'un mural or Tot un món en català. 800 topònims per a la correcció oral i escrita will be showcased at booth number 1, together with other publications from university presses belonging to the XVU.

The presentation of volumes I and II of Catalan Literature of Postmodernity, co-published by the UAB Publishing Service and the University of Barcelona, is scheduled for Wednesday, September 24. The event will take place at 6:45 p.m. on Stage 1.

On Thursday, September 25, the presentation of the winning works of the Joan Lluís Vives Awards for University Publishing 2025 is scheduled. The event will take place at 5:30 p.m. on Stage 2.

Johari Gautier Carmona, journalist and author of the book El hechizo del tren, will give a lecture on February 21, at 7 p.m., in the Audiovisual Room of the Monastery Museum of Sant Cugat del Vallès (Pl. de l'Om, 1).

The talk, entitled "The protagonists of the first railway line in the Peninsula", will be based on his novel, which tells the story of the railroad from its beginnings in Latin America to its arrival in the Iberian Peninsula, through the experiences lived by its main promoters.

The conference is part of the Cycle of Conferences on the World of Trains, organized by the Associació d'Amics del Ferrocarril de Sant Cugat del Vallès and can also be followed live on the YouTube channel of the Federació Catalana d'Amics del Ferrocarril: youtube@canalFCAF6925.

Eduard Roure Blàvia, professor and writer from Lleida, will present his novel El metall i els turons, next Thursday, April 18, at 7 pm, at the bookstore La Fatal (Vallcalent street, 65, 25006 Lérida).

The event will include a reading of several fragments of the book and will be attended by Ester Graell, philologist and teacher; Mariona Roure, photographer and art historian; and the author.

The work is a modern fable, disguised as a thriller or western, and has been the winner of the XXIX Novel Prize "Valldaura-Memorial Pere Calders" of 2023, organized by the UAB and the City Council of Cerdanyola del Vallès. El metall i els turons, as Roure himself points out, is "a modern tale that revolves around the old story of the confrontation with power, in this case, provoked by the awareness for the conservation of the environment".

Eduard Roure Blàvia was born in Lérida in 1973 and teaches Catalan language and literature at the Manuel de Montsuar Secondary School in the same city. His works include: Les altes balconades (Pagès, 1999), Les Talúries prize for narrative; the short novel Lligall trobat a la Cabana (Proa, 2008), finalist for the Pere Calders prize; the novel L'última badia (Pagès, 2012), creation aid prize for the best novel project of the Narrativa Lleida Awards; and the novel La nit de les oques (Viena, 2016), Ciutat de Badalona prize for narrative. Currently, she collaborates as an article writer in the supplement Lectura del diari Segre.

On April 17, Ràdio UNAL, belonging to the National University of Colombia (Bogotà), interviewed Julio Mario Hoyos and Juan Carlos Moreno, Biologist and Philosopher, respectively, and authors of the book Las claves de la investigación Científica, recently published by the Publications Service of the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB).

The interview was included in the program Panorama de la Ciència, produced by the Colombian Academy of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences, and can be listened to in full at the following link: https://radio.unal.edu.co/detalle/claves-para-entender-la-investigacion-cientifica

The Barcelona Design Museum – Disseny Hub (DHub) is hosting a conference on circular economy to be given by Dr. Joan Rieradevall Pons and Dr. Carles Gasol Martínez, authors of the book Economía circular. El camino hacia la sostenibilidad, published by the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB).
In the talk, the authors will discuss the main concepts of the circular economy and link them to some of the objects displayed in the permanent exhibition Matter Matters. Designing with the World, which also appear in their latest publication Circular Economy. The Road to Sustainability. The book presents circular economy as one of the key strategies to achieve sustainable development.

The event is part of the autumn activity cycle Shared Matter, organized by the Barcelona Design Museum, and will take place at the Espai Mirador on Wednesday, October 1, at 6:00 p.m. The activity is free and open to the public. To access the DHub, attendees must first register at reception starting at 5:30 p.m. Once the conference is over, the accreditation will allow free entry to visit the Museum’s exhibition.

Joan Rieradevall Pons holds a PhD in Chemical Sciences and is a scientific advisor at the Institute of Environmental Science and Technology of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ICTA-UAB). An expert in sustainability, eco-design and circular economy, he has published more than 170 articles and supervised numerous doctoral theses.

Carles Gasol Martínez holds a PhD in Environmental Sciences from the UAB and is an associate professor at the Department of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering at the UAB (DEQBA-UAB).

Both authors are also co-founders of the UAB Research Park spin-off companies Inèdit Innova and Tectum Garden. As a result of their ties with the university, last May Circular Economy. The Road to Sustainability was published by the UAB Publications Service, both in print (paid) and electronic (free, open acces) editions.

The authors’ professional and academic experience has led to this publication, which aims to bring readers closer to the concept of circular economy, presenting it as one of the key strategies of the 21st century to foster sustainable development, while questioning whether it will become a reality or remain a short-term aspiration after analyzing political, economic, social, and environmental factors.

Other events

On the occasion of World Environment Day, Thursday, June 5, the authors participated in a dialogue at the Mundana space in Barcelona on policies, indicators, tools, and innovation strategies to reduce the environmental impact of consumption.

On Wednesday, September 17, at 7:00 p.m., the Byron Bookshop in Barcelona hosted the first presentation of the book, which gave special mention to the individuals, professionals, and organizations that contributed to making it a reality.