Enjoy the dark side with ‘noir fiction’

By Jack TroughtonCRIME, terror and mystery are at the heart of a cultural weekend of ‘noir fiction’ in Javea attracting fans of the genre to the Costa Blanca.

The third edition of Xabia Negra is being staged from Friday, November 2 until Sunday, November 4 and offers a mix of the written word with cinema and photography.

Events are taking place in schools, book shops, schools, shops and bars – the festival is supported by business associations – in Javea old town and port.

There are book fairs, round table chats with authors, and photography and cinema competitions – 324 pictures have been entered and 88 short films.

And the best of Spain’s ‘noir’ authors will be joined four writers from the UK and historian Vicent Baydal will offer an insight into some of Valencia’s most notorious crimes.

On Saturday evening, there is a chance to see last year’s winning film entry at Cinema Jayan and some of this year’s entries as well as two classics. The same night, there is a tour of the old town and a recreation of the French attack of 1812, and theatre in the port’s Plaza Maruja Varo.

Sunday sees a gala awards ceremony in the cinema with a theatrical performance with a version of the ‘Criminala’ story.

Over the weekend there is an exhibition about writer Pepe Carvalho and detective Vazquez Montalban in the Soler Blasco Municipal Museum and the book fair in Calle Mayor, both are in the old town.

12.00 Inauguration of the photography exhibition "noir" in the Municipal Market.

18.00 Round table in La Trastienda with authors Vicente Garrido , Nieves Abarca and Toni Hill ; the new novel by Vicente and Nieves, El Beso de Tosca, will be presented.

19.30 Screening of short films in competition and the film Night in the City at the Jayan cinema.

10.30 Inauguration of the book fair in Calle Mayor - together with the Embruix bar - with book signing by authors and performance of the Folk Jazz Trio.

11.30 Inauguration at the Museu de Xàbia of the exhibition "Pepe Carvalho" with the participation of Carlos Zanón.

12.00 Round table with authors in the Embruix: Gordon Brown, Graeme Macrae, Lin Anderson and Abir Mukherjee (in English).

13.00 Conference: historical and modern Valencian crimes in the Embruix by the historian and writer Vicent Baydal.

19.00 Presentation of the novel by Carlos Zanon "Taxi" and Toni Hill's novel "Tigres de Cristal" with the authors and with Vicente Garrido and Nieves Abarca in the Duplex.

19.30 Screening of short films, round table with Iago de Soto -director of La Guarida- and screening of the film Comanchería.

21.00 Route dramatized in the Historic District, "The attack of 1812".

23.00 Concert of the group Soulomònics in the Plaça de la Comare Maruja Varó.

12.00 Presentation of the novel Golpes de Pere Cervantes in Cala Bandida.

20.00 Final Gala and awards ceremony at the Jayan Cinema with the show "La Criminala" and viewing of the winning films.