Music and literature shared the stage of Words And Sound Festival 2026 at Asunción’s Port Cultural Centre. The second edition brought together writers, musicians and artists through workshops, talks, book and vinyl fairs, and live performances. Despite a storm hitting Asunción towards the end of the event, the festival continued to a successful conclusion. Argentine author Agustina Bazterrica was among the festival’s main guests, drawing a packed audience for one of the final conversations on 3 October 2026.
Books, vinyl and Paraguayan crafts fill the Port
Upon entering the Port’s Cultural Centre, visitors were greeted by a colourful fair selling Paraguayan handicrafts. Temporary stalls from La Recova vendors offered a range of products made with traditional Paraguayan crafts such as encaje ju, ñandutí and ao po’i.
As part of the festival’s programme, vinyl and book fairs were held at the Cultural Centre facilities from 10:00. On the first floor, a selection of books was offered by independent publishers and local bookstores. The reading club Asu Lee (Asu Reads) also participated with two group reading sessions in the afternoon.
Meanwhile, thousands of vinyl records, CDs and cassettes were offered by a diverse community of independent collectors at Vinilo Cooltural’s fair. Throughout the day, the vinyl fair also featured live DJ sets covering a variety of musical genres.
Music present at Words And Sound Festival 2026
At the Espacio Sonido (Sound Space) auditorium, national artists led concerts, music workshops, talks and book cover design classes. DJ and producer Cosmo López led a music production workshop, offering participants tools and techniques for producing, recording and building music. Moreover, illustrator Samuel Araya provided an insight into the creative process behind book cover design and illustration.
Afterwards, Los Ollies, a national indie-rock and pop band, added to the artistic programme through an energetic live music concert. A conversation with Josema Gonzalez, vocalist of the Paraguayan thrash metal band Kuazar, concluded the music programme.
Writers and new voices
The Espacio Palabra (Word Space) zone was dedicated to literature. In the early afternoon, Argentine writer Esteban Castromán conducted a creative workshop aimed at young people. The creative session mixed a range of literary, digital, and cultural influences to build a collective universe through individual creations.
In the following event, ten selected stories from emerging Paraguayan writers were published as part of the Words & Sound 2026 Digital Anthology of Unpublished Stories. The digital book celebrating contemporary literature was freely available to all attendees.
The third literary presentation featured Argentine author Jorge Lebrón, better known by his pseudonym Loyds. The writer presented his GCU Trilogy, consisting of the novels Merca, La mamá de Johnny and Pichón.
Furthermore, fragments from the book IDA were read aloud during an open conversation with its author, Paraguayan writer María Pía Escobar. She shared the challenges faced during the printing process of her novel and explained how each published edition includes new stories. Escobar also discussed how her stories combine personal experiences with fiction.
Regarding the topics explored in her stories, she declared: “There are topics that might be disturbing, but they are human.” Additionally, one of the hosts noted the relatable nature of the pieces, which address subjects such as anxiety and reflect Paraguayan reality. At the end of the session, María Pía signed autographs for everyone present.
Agustina Bazterrica draws a packed audience
One of the most anticipated appearances closed the festival. A conversation with Agustina Bazterrica, the Argentine author of the award-winning book “Tender is the Flesh”, filled the auditorium seats. Some attendees arrived exclusively to hear the best-selling author speak.
Antonella Riquelme (31), who participated in the festival for the first time, said the writer’s presence was the main reason she came to the event. “I see her as an author who dares to stray a little from the norm in contemporary writing, to explore areas that are difficult for a woman to enter. I love her work not only because of all the awards she has won. But also because of how she made her way, as a woman and as a Latin American, which makes it even more difficult to make your way in the world of writing.”
In this regard, Agustina Bazterrica mentioned during the talk that “readers are now more willing to read books by female authors. It is still the case that some readers, if they see a book written by a woman, will not read it. And even though it is a matter of choice, it would be awesome if people read what the other half of the world, women and minorities, think. New authors are opening paths for future generations right now, and I think that is crucial.”
Additionally, Bazterrica shared with the audience her love for cats and some paranormal experiences she had in the past. The organiser highlighted Agustina’s commitment and dedication to signing books until the very last person in the venue had received an autograph.
A stormy ending to the Words & Sound Festival 2026
A storm hit Asunción towards the end of the event. However, the adverse weather conditions did not prevent it from coming to a successful conclusion. In an emotional final speech, Juan Ramírez Biedermann, founder and director of Words & Sound, recognised the work behind the project and the setbacks and obstacles that appeared during the organisation process. He also thanked the attendees and collaborators for being part of the event.
