Non-Fiction Writing

Frankenstein tropicalizado: varias aproximaciones y reescrituras del clásico de Mary Shelley 🥀 El objetivo del taller es analizar 'Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus' (1818) de Mary Shelley (1797-1851) junto con algunos textos teóricos que piensan la obra y observar una muestra de las reescrituras del clásico en América latina. Leeremos 'Frankenstein o el moderno Prometeo' (1818) de Mary Shelley junto con algunos textos crítico-teóricos que lo analizan. Además, descubriremos una muestra de obras de autoras de América Latina que han reescrito el clásico de la autora inglesa. lamalinchelibreria@gmail.com 💌 ¡Les esperamos! 🖤

Working on a novel or short story? Get feedback from other writers, find motivation to meet your deadlines, and bemoan the difficulties of the writer's life with like-minded people. We will discuss up to two submissions of 3,000 words at this event. Submissions will be sent out a few days in advance. Please come with the pieces read. New here? Wonderful! But come to a session before you submit, to see what we're all about and how we do things. Please email submissions (3,000 words max.) to barcelonawriters@gmail.com

Hola y bienvenidos a nuestro próximo meetup de filosofía de Sócrates Café! ¿Deseas una comprensión más profunda de ti mismo y del mundo? ¿Valoras el diálogo profundo, honesto y respetuoso? Si es así, entonces este encuentro será muy interesante para ti. 1. ¿DONDE NOS ENCONTRAMOS? Cafè de l'Òpera La Rambla, 74 near metro Liceu. https://goo.gl/maps/rgmRhs4WMD3ciASk7 Suban al cuarto arriba, hay que pedir y pagar en la barra antes de subir. 2. ¿CUANDO NOS ENCONTRAMOS? los martes de 19:30 a 21:00 (las otras sessions están en ingles). 3. ¿CUÁNTOS NOS REUNIMOS? Hasta 25 personas. Las reuniones comenzarán a las 7.30 pm. Por favor, lleguen a tiempo. Empezaremos puntualmente. 4. ¿QUE PASA EN LAS REUNIONES? En cada reunión tenemos una discusión usando el método socrático: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socratic_method Hacemos, respondemos y discutimos preguntas e ideas para estimular el pensamiento crítico y ampliar nuestras perspectivas con algunos conceptos y pensamientos en los que nunca hemos pensado. El objetivo principal de estos encuentros es enriquecernos con las perspectivas de los demás, no convencer a los demás sobre nuestras propias perspectivas. Nuestras reuniones son sobre nuestras propias filosofías de la vida y no necesariamente lo que los grandes filósofos y académicos han dicho o escrito. No es un club de debate o una plataforma para hacer proselitismo. En cambio, ponemos énfasis en cuestionar, tener una mentalidad abierta y desafiar nuestras propias suposiciones mientras escuchamos y respetamos las opiniones compartidas por otros. Una reunión de Socrates Café se considera un éxito cuando los participantes dejan una discusión con muchas más preguntas de las que tenían al principio. 5. ¿QUÉ TEMA SE DISCUTE EN EL MEETUP? Los participantes sugieren temas al principio de cada reunión. Luego votamos y elegimos el tema más popular de ese evento para la discusión. No es necesaria la formación académica en filosofía; Solo entusiasmo por intercambiar ideas y puntos de vista. Algunos ejemplos de temas elegidos en reuniones anteriores: * ¿Por qué ideales vale la pena morir? * ¿Por qué nunca estamos satisfechos? * ¿Por qué los seres humanos están informados de que la sociedad está yendo mal y los líderes están bien informados y las cosas continúan? * ¿Es necesaria la identidad? * ¿Qué es el precio ético y la codicia? * ¿Qué es post-verdad? * ¿Cómo puede ser que las personas en las sociedades democráticas estén tan obsesionadas con el poder? (Deseo de ser diferente, mejor, más fuerte que los demás). * ¿Qué es la amistad? 6. ¿QUIÉN PUEDE PARTICIPAR EN ESTE MEETUP? Cualquiera es más que bienvenido a unirse a nuestros encuentros. Nuestros eventos reúnen a personas de diferentes orígenes, diferentes culturas, mientras que no es obligatorio tener antecedentes filosóficos. Nuestros participantes habituales son personas que tienen deseo de una comprensión más profunda de sí mismos y del mundo. Personas que valoran el diálogo profundo, honesto y respetuoso.

Hola y bienvenidos a nuestro próximo meetup de filosofía de Sócrates Café! ¿Deseas una comprensión más profunda de ti mismo y del mundo? ¿Valoras el diálogo profundo, honesto y respetuoso? Si es así, entonces este encuentro será muy interesante para ti. 1. ¿DONDE NOS ENCONTRAMOS? Charcha Café [Carrer d'Avinyó, 24, Ciutat Vella, 08002 Barcelona](https://www.google.com/maps/place//data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x12a4a3004ce10d7d:0xbc126fd29e6e5d2d?sa=X&ved=1t:8290&ictx=111) https://www.google.com/maps/place//data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x12a4a3004ce10d7d:0xbc126fd29e6e5d2d?sa=X&ved=1t:8290&ictx=111 2. ¿CUANDO NOS ENCONTRAMOS? los martes de 19:30 a 21:00 3. ¿CUÁNTOS NOS REUNIMOS? Hasta 25 personas. Las reuniones comenzarán a las 7.30 pm. Por favor, les pedimos que pidan algo para beber antes de comenzar y que lleguen puntualmente. **Empezaremos puntualmente.** 4. ¿QUE PASA EN LAS REUNIONES? En cada reunión tenemos una discusión usando el método socrático: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Socratic_method Hacemos, respondemos y discutimos preguntas e ideas para estimular el pensamiento crítico y ampliar nuestras perspectivas con algunos conceptos y pensamientos en los que nunca hemos pensado. El objetivo principal de estos encuentros es enriquecernos con las perspectivas de los demás, no convencer a los demás sobre nuestras propias perspectivas. Nuestras reuniones son sobre nuestras propias filosofías de la vida y no necesariamente lo que los grandes filósofos y académicos han dicho o escrito. No es un club de debate o una plataforma para hacer proselitismo. En cambio, ponemos énfasis en cuestionar, tener una mentalidad abierta y desafiar nuestras propias suposiciones mientras escuchamos y respetamos las opiniones compartidas por otros. Una reunión de Socrates Café se considera un éxito cuando los participantes dejan una discusión con muchas más preguntas de las que tenían al principio. 5. ¿QUÉ TEMA SE DISCUTE EN EL MEETUP? Los participantes sugieren temas al principio de cada reunión. Luego votamos y elegimos el tema más popular de ese evento para la discusión. No es necesaria la formación académica en filosofía; Solo entusiasmo por intercambiar ideas y puntos de vista. Algunos ejemplos de temas elegidos en reuniones anteriores: * ¿Por qué ideales vale la pena morir? * ¿Por qué nunca estamos satisfechos? * ¿Por qué los seres humanos están informados de que la sociedad está yendo mal y los líderes están bien informados y las cosas continúan? * ¿Es necesaria la identidad? * ¿Qué es el precio ético y la codicia? * ¿Qué es post-verdad? * ¿Cómo puede ser que las personas en las sociedades democráticas estén tan obsesionadas con el poder? (Deseo de ser diferente, mejor, más fuerte que los demás). * ¿Qué es la amistad? 6. ¿QUIÉN PUEDE PARTICIPAR EN ESTE MEETUP? Cualquiera es más que bienvenido a unirse a nuestros encuentros. Nuestros eventos reúnen a personas de diferentes orígenes, diferentes culturas, mientras que no es obligatorio tener antecedentes filosóficos. Nuestros participantes habituales son personas que tienen deseo de una comprensión más profunda de sí mismos y del mundo. Personas que valoran el diálogo profundo, honesto y respetuoso.

After a long hiatus, we're restarting the Barcelona AI Mastermind meetup to try something new. Agentic AI and [vibe coding](https://x.com/karpathy/status/1886192184808149383) are revolutionizing the practice of software development. [Even the experts find it hard keep up.](https://x.com/karpathy/status/2004607146781278521) Done poorly, vibe coding is like giving a chainsaw to a toddler, but tools and practices are rapidly evolving, and the mass production of high-quality software is now within reach to anyone willing to learn. Come by BierCaB, with Barcelona's best selection of craft beers, to share your tips, tricks, best practices, and achievements. If you're not already electrified by the potential of vibe coding done right, check out [this interview](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuJyJP517Uw) with the legendary Steve Yegge.

Join us for an engaging seminar where we will delve deep into the world of nonprofit communication best practices. Our expert speakers will share valuable insights and strategies to help your organization effectively communicate its mission, impact, and goals. Whether you're a seasoned nonprofit professional or just starting out in the sector, this event is the perfect opportunity to learn, network, and exchange ideas with like-minded individuals from the Barcelona Nonprofit Communications Meetup Group. Don't miss out on this valuable opportunity to enhance your communication skills and drive positive change in the nonprofit sector.

Inviting all non-fiction book readers to kick off our 2026 set! New ideas welcome. Read one book from the list—or bring any non-fiction pick you’re excited about. Join the community for a great discussion over good food and drinks. Kick off meetup is not a book discussion, it is for introductions with all new readers. Please also RVSP on the whatsapp group where we poll for books and best dates for in-person discussion. [https://chat.whatsapp.com/KYJ6aTOBI0p3YVo2d6MdF7](https://chat.whatsapp.com/KYJ6aTOBI0p3YVo2d6MdF7) https://www.nonfictionbookclub.org/

Inviting all non-fiction book readers to kick off our 2026 set! New ideas welcome. Read one book from the list—or bring any non-fiction pick you’re excited about. Join the community for a great discussion over good food and drinks. Kick off meetup is not a book discussion, it is for introductions with all new readers. Please also RVSP on the whatsapp group where we poll for books and best dates for in-person discussion. https://chat.whatsapp.com/KYJ6aTOBI0p3YVo2d6MdF7 https://www.nonfictionbookclub.org/

**Alberto Ribas-Casasayas, Ana Luengo y Juan Carlos Usó presentan *Otras iluminaciones. Narrativa, cultura y psicodélicos*, un volumen colectivo que reúne ensayos de distintas autoras y autores en torno a la representación de la experiencia psicodélica en la producción cultural de habla hispana; explorando cómo estas experiencias han sido narradas, imaginadas y resignificadas en distintos contextos culturales.** Frente al llamado “renacimiento psicodélico”, que impulsa nuevos usos terapéuticos y recreativos y genera también nuevas formas de representación, los textos del volumen proponen una aproximación crítica desde la literatura y los estudios culturales. A partir del análisis de prácticas tradicionales y de sus transformaciones contemporáneas, así como de las estéticas psicodélicas en la narrativa actual, el libro examina este resurgir de los enteógenos y las tensiones que lo atraviesan: las relaciones de poder y los intereses económicos que estructuran su circulación global, su relevancia simbólica para pueblos ancestrales y para la configuración de imaginarios culturales, y su potencial como herramienta de transformación social y política. El libro incluye artículos de Iván Eusebio Aguirre Darancou; Andrés Cota Hiriart; Iván Díez de la Pava; Pedro Favarón Peyón; Bárbara Xavier França; José Emiliano Garibaldi Toledo; Ana Luengo; Lauren Mehfoud; Daniella Prieto; Alberto Ribas-Casasayas; Sergi Rivero-Navarro: Alfonso Romaniello; Juan Carlos Usó y Raimundo Viejo Viñas. **Ana Luengo** es catedrática de literatura española y latinoamericana en San Francisco State University desde 2015. Antes enseñó en la University of Washington y en la Universidad de Bremen. Se doctoró en la Universidad de Hamburgo con su libro *La encrucijada de la memoria. La memoria colectiva de la Guerra Civil Española en la novela contemporánea* (2004, 2a ed. 2012). Ha publicado numerosos artículos sobre memoria histórica, movimientos sociales, anticolonialismo y literatura policial, y coeditado cuatro volúmenes colectivos. Es autora del ensayo *Arqueología del esencialismo español. Leyes, genealogías y herencias* (2023), de la novela *Mi bien esquivo* (2023) y del poemario *Inconclusa sinestesia* (2024). Desde una colina californiana sigue escribiendo y viajando. **Alberto Ribas-Casasayas** es doctor en literatura comparada por Harvard University y Associate Professor de español y estudios latinoamericanos en Santa Clara University. Ha publicado numerosos trabajos académicos sobre lo espectral y sobre finanzas y deuda en literatura y cine de Latinoamérica y España. Coeditó el volumen colectivo *Espectros. Ghostly hauntings and the talking dead in transhispanic narratives* (2016) y el número especial *Spectral Mexico en iMex. Interdisciplinary Mexico* (2019). Es devoto de la psiconáutica y autor del ensayo *Luces y sombras del renacimiento psicodélico* (2023), de libre acceso en Ulises Ediciones. Actualmente está trabajando en su primera novela. **Juan Carlos Usó** es licenciado en Geografía e Historia (Historia Contemporánea) por la Universitat de València y doctor en Sociología por la UNED. Ha desarrollado una trayectoria profesional vinculada a la investigación histórica, la sociología y la cultura de las drogas y también ha sido bibliotecario del Ayuntamiento de Castelló de la Plana entre 1983 y 2024. En el ámbito docente, fue profesor asociado de Sociología de la delincuencia en la Universitat Jaume I y, desde 1999, profesor del Máster en Drogodependencias de la Universitat de Barcelona. Es autor de numerosos libros de referencia sobre psicodelia, drogas, cultura popular, disidencias sexuales y ocio nocturno en España. Colabora habitualmente en *Cáñamo* y *Ulises*. Ha recibido el Premio Paco Pascual (2001) y el Premio Active (2003) por su labor de difusión social. [Casa Amèrica Catalunya | ](https://americat.barcelona/es/presentacion-de-libro--otras-iluminaciones--narrativa--cultura-y-psicodelicos)**[Entrada libre con aforo limitado](https://americat.barcelona/es/presentacion-de-libro--otras-iluminaciones--narrativa--cultura-y-psicodelicos)**

What if the ancient mystics were right all along, and modern technology is finally catching up? In this session we'll explore the Simulation Hypothesis: the idea that our reality might be a simulation. We are using Rizwan Virk's book partly as a source for this session. We'll look at the convergence between Eastern philosophy (Maya, the Buddhist concept of illusion), Western philosophy (Plato's Cave, Descartes' demon), quantum physics, and video game technology. Whether you find the idea compelling or absurd, it's an interesting lens through which to examine what we mean by "reality". This session will be led by Amelia and James. Bring wine/beer/drinks/food/snacks/whatever if you want to. **Our events fill up very quickly. To avoid missing out on future events, join the WhatsApp group via this link:** [https://tally.so/r/w4G5L5](https://tally.so/r/w4G5L5) Press the buzzer marked Semi sotano 2 (bottom left on the panel) to be let in. It's down the stairs, first door on the right.

A casual (but coordinated) coffee break to meet new friends, take a Zoom break, and get your AM caffeine fix. Stop by for a few minutes or stay the whole time. Bring a friend or wander in solo. Come for the coffee and company, or just bring a book to read while surrounded by other in-real-life, community-seeking humans. Come by every Friday, or just when you happen to be in town. Make it whatever you need it to be that week. It's not an \*event\* per se, but we hope these Friday meet-ups can become a fixture of the bookshop! Gathering spot will be in the downstairs area of the bookshop (near the Community Library). Coffee and tea are 1.50€ and can be purchased at the cash register upstairs. Find more info on our Instagram (@backstorybookshop) or website (www.backstorybookshop.com).

Join us for a thought-provoking conversation as we discuss ***Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World* by Naomi Klein** Here's the summary: What if you woke up one morning and found you’d acquired another self―a double who was almost you and yet not you at all? What if that double shared many of your preoccupations but, in a twisted, upside-down way, furthered the very causes you’d devoted your life to fighting against? Not long ago, the celebrated activist and public intellectual Naomi Klein had just such an experience―she was confronted with a doppelganger whose views she found abhorrent but whose name and public persona were sufficiently similar to her own that many people got confused about who was who. Destabilized, she lost her bearings, until she began to understand the experience as one manifestation of a strangeness many of us have come to know but struggle to define: AI-generated text is blurring the line between genuine and spurious communication; New Age wellness entrepreneurs turned anti-vaxxers are scrambling familiar political allegiances of left and right; and liberal democracies are teetering on the edge of absurdist authoritarianism, even as the oceans rise. Under such conditions, reality itself seems to have become unmoored. Is there a cure for our moment of collective vertigo? Naomi Klein is one of our most trenchant and influential social critics, an essential analyst of what branding, austerity, and climate profiteering have done to our societies and souls. Here she turns her gaze inward to our psychic landscapes, and outward to the possibilities for building hope amid intersecting economic, medical, and political crises. With the assistance of Sigmund Freud, Jordan Peele, Alfred Hitchcock, and bell hooks, among other accomplices, Klein uses wry humor and a keen sense of the ridiculous to face the strange doubles that haunt us―and that have come to feel as intimate and proximate as a warped reflection in the mirror. Combining comic memoir with chilling reportage and cobweb-clearing analysis, Klein seeks to smash that mirror and chart a path beyond despair. Doppelganger What do we neglect as we polish and perfect our digital reflections? Is it possible to dispose of our doubles and overcome the pathologies of a culture of multiplication? Can we create a politics of collective care and undertake a true reckoning with historical crimes? The result is a revelatory treatment of the way many of us think and feel now―and an intellectual adventure story for our times. **Let’s meet at Caboose Commons in Fairfax to enjoy some good discussion and meet new friends.**

Join us for a thought-provoking conversation as we discuss ***Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It* by Cory Doctorow** Here's the summary: **Explaining the process of the “enshittification” of digital platforms over time and what to do about it.** Cory Doctorow's *Enshittification* takes a witty yet incisive look at the tech landscape, where platforms like TikTok, Facebook, and Google start off great—before they inevitably turn terrible. In this contemporary moment of digital decline, Doctorow explores how tech giants lure users in with convenience and then degrade their services over time, squeezing profit at the cost of user experience. With a mix of sharp humor and deep insight, he unveils the slow creep of "enshittification," turning the online world into a worse place, one algorithm at a time. **Let’s meet at Caboose Commons in Fairfax to enjoy some good discussion and meet new friends.**

Get to know your fellow writers! In this relaxed, easygoing environment, we'll have the space, snacks, and some interactive activities to meet your fellow writers. Led by a professional in the industry, we'll discuss upcoming events in Montgomery County, some upcoming conventions, and local open mics that are available for you to participate in. $5 donation asked to provide for food and supplies so we don't have to worry about going to a cafe or restaurant, but still have a great time. Expect coffee, pastries, and other cafe-like snacks, as well as writing supplies, goodies, and other things to do. Host will use all funds towards the group. Novices and seasoned writers welcome. Just come and make community.

[Profs and Pints Northern Virginia](https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc) presents: **“The Life of Frankenstein,”** on the birth, evolution and impact of a tale of man-made monstrosity, with Bernard Welt, an emeritus professor of arts and humanities at George Washington University who frequently lectures on Frankenstein in literature, cinema, and culture. [Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at [https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/profsandpints/nv-life-of-frankenstein](https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/profsandpints/nv-life-of-frankenstein) .] Guillermo del Toro’s lush and lovingly produced film adaptation of Mary Shelley’s 1818 novel *Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus* is just the latest of many iterations of the story to capture the public’s imagination. People have watched Victor Frankenstein give life to his monster in numerous films, on television, and on stage, and even perform “Putting on the Ritz” with him thanks to the comic genius of Mel Brooks. Mary Shelley did not just tell a tale. She spawned the modern genre of speculative fiction and gave rise to a myth that would crop up in debates over nature versus nurture and other matters. Even today it stokes anxieties over the potential impacts of robotics, artificial intelligence, and genetic engineering, by evoking the image of a monster turning on its progenitor. Come gain a new appreciation of Mary Shelley’s creation with the help of Dr. Bernard Welt, who has studied the relationship between nightmares and the horror genre and is the author of *Mythomania: Fantasies, Fables, and Sheer Lies in Contemporary American Popular Art.* Dr. Welt will start by telling a literary origin story almost as famous as Frankenstein itself, of how an 18-year-old Shelley started writing *Frankenstein* in 1816 while staying in a villa on Lake Geneva with two of her era’s leading poets, Lord Byron and Percy Bysshe Shelley, her lover. Housebound by foul weather, the three read Gothic tales of ghosts and monsters and challenged each other to produce something even more terrifying. Mary dreamed up a story of a man who defied death by creating a living being out of scraps of deceased men harvested from graveyards and anatomy labs. The resulting novel, *Frankenstein*, published anonymously in 1818, would by that century’s end become a touchstone in philosophical discourse on the nature of humanity and in political discussions of imperialism and populism. By the 21st century, Mary Shelley (as she became) had earned a more significant place in the literary canon than Byron and her husband Shelley. We will examine how this grisly tale became a landmark of modern thought and look at the part played by numerous film adaptations from the first years of cinema to the present day. (Door: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. The talk starts 30 minutes later.) Image: From a Theodor von Holst engraving in an 1831 edition of *Frankenstein* published by Colburn and Bentley of London.

Looking for a quiet, focused space to write? Come be part of our writing group—a dedicated time just for writing alongside fellow writers in your community. No readings, no critiques, no peer-review—just you writing within a supportive atmosphere. 7pm-7:15pm: Find your seat, set up your writing station, quick intro's. 7:15pm-8:45 pm: An hour and a half of silent focused writing. 8:45pm-9pm: Quick debrief, pack and head home. Can't wait to see you! :)

[Profs and Pints Northern Virginia](https://www.profsandpints.com/washingtondc) presents: **“Satanic Panics,”** a look at waves of fear of demonic activity as an American tradition, with Luxx Mishou, cultural historian and former instructor at the U.S. Naval Academy and area community colleges. [Advance tickets: $13.50 plus sales tax and processing fees. Available at [https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/profsandpints/nv-satanic-panics](https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/profsandpints/nv-satanic-panics) .] The 1980s found the United States gripped by fear of Satanic cults targeting children. They were believed to be corrupting young ones in daycare centers and tempting teens through subliminal messages on heavy metal albums or through the quiet inclusion of demonic rituals in role-playing games. Satanic serial killers supposedly stalked the suburbs. Doctors helped patients uncover what were claimed to be repressed memories of ritualistic satanic abuse. Parents, police, and politicians were urged to protect impressionable youths from both moral and physical danger. With Satanic cults deemed to be a real and material threat, it was a frightening time for everyone, including those who suddenly came under suspicion for doing evil deeds. Then, suddenly, it all faded from public consciousness, just as surely as did eighties fads such mullet haircuts, leg warmers, and Cabbage Patch Kids. Why did it all start? Why did it stop? And has this happened before or since? Hear such questions tackled by Luxx Mishou, a cultural historian and media specialist who has long researched the devious and villainous in cultural artifacts. She’ll discuss moral panics as a longstanding cultural tradition, with each new one stemming from fear of cultural shifts and shaped by the time and place where it occurred. Among the panics we’ll look into are the Red Scare of the 1950s and the public response to the gruesome 1969 murders committed by the Manson Family. Delving into the 1980s panic, Mishou will describe how it began with the 1980 publication of psychiatrist Lawrence Pazder’s memoir *Michelle Remembers*, detailing the suppressed memories of ritualistic abuse reportedly suffered by a patient. As that book quickly became a best seller, its ideas saturated American culture. A California daycare center became the focus of a three-year investigation, followed by three years of trials, based on allegations that its owner had engaged in secret ritualistic abuse of the children in its care. Mishou will lead you through the media that convinced the public that devil worshipers were among them, and she’ll talk about how reactions to imagined threats can have very real social costs. (Doors: $17, or $15 with a student ID. Listed time is for doors. The talk starts 30 minutes later.) Image by Canva.

Looking for a quiet, focused space to write? Come be part of our writing group—a dedicated time just for writing alongside fellow writers in your community. No readings, no critiques, no peer-review—just you writing within a supportive atmosphere. 7pm-7:15pm: Find your seat, set up your writing station, quick intro's. 7:15pm-8:45 pm: An hour and a half of silent focused writing. 8:45pm-9pm: Quick debrief, pack and head home. Can't wait to see you! :)