Year 2018

4 – 5 January. Stall at the 15th Tenderete Festival (Elegante Edition), held for the first time in CCCC, Centre del Carme Cultura Contemporània (Carme Contemporary Culture Centre). Lara Ottaviani supervises the stall and also offers her own creations, including a new booklet in the 1/2 Vaca series.

2 – 14 February. Media Vaca returns to Tokyo after 13 years. To make the most of the trip, which can never be as simple as a walk in the park, the editors plan a busy schedule of activities. Thursday 8, 13:15-14:30: talk in the Cervantes Institute of Tokyo about Media Vaca's catalogue and the market for children’s books in Spain, to nine Japanese publishers who are going to participate in a business mission to Valencia. The event is coordinated by Asa Kanaseki, from the Spanish Economic and Commercial Office in Tokyo, who also takes on the role of interpreter; Friday 9, 13:30-15:30: in the Hispanic-Japanese House of Culture and Commerce, Vicente Ferrer gives a talk on editorial work —commenting particularly on his experience with Japanese authors and books—, at the suggestion of Kazumi Uno, owner of the bookshop Miranfú and member of the Spanish-Japanese Association, who also acts as an interpreter for the event; Saturday 10, 15:00-16:30: at the Itabashi Art Museum, round table on Media Vaca’s books, with the illustrator Taro Miura, Kiyoko Matsuoka, the director of the Itabashi, and the publishers. Kiyoko Masaoka, translator of Media Vaca’s Japanese books, also acts as an interpreter. Most of the authors of the book Érase 21 veces Caperucita Roja (Once Upon 21 Times, Little Red Riding Hood) take part in the event, invited by Izumi Yamada; some of them traveling far for the occasion. After the presentation, the group of illustrators move to a nearby restaurant to celebrate their reunion, and, while they are at it, Vicente Ferrer's 55th birthday.

February. Pelo de Zanahoria (Carrot Hair), 2nd edition.

14 March. Creation of a falla based on the books by Genichiro Yagyu from the series The Map of My Body by the students of Mi Academia, an academy which offer painting and art workshops in Valencia.

26 – 29 March. Participation in the Bologna Children's Book Fair, Hall 22 stand B35, located in the Spanish Association of Publishers Guilds space. At the forefront of the stand, Lara Ottaviani showcases the books of the publishing house and serves the interested illustrators who visit the fair.

7, 8 April. Participation in the Feria del Libro Político de Madrid (Madrid Political Book Fair), in the Nave de Terneras del Matadero. Ingrid and Irene supervise the stand.

11 April. 6:00. ‘Dibujar un chorizo' ('Drawing a sausage’). Talk by the Taiwanese illustrator Chu-Li Chen, author of Libro de los defectos de los demás (Book of the Flaws of Others), at EASD (School of Art and Design).

14, 15 April. Drawing workshops by Lluïsot, invited to the third Regional Children's and Young Adult’s Book Fair in Cieza, in Murcia. Activities from the author at the Club Atalaya – Ateneo in the Villa de Cieza and in the Los Albares High School. Celebration of Republic Day and the anniversary of Media Vaca by disseminating the book Una temporada en Calcuta (A Season in Calcutta) among the attendees.

17 – 25 April. Participation in the Bogota International Book Fair (FILBo), as part of the activities included in the fourth edition of Otra Mirada: Encuentro de Librerías y Editoriales Independientes Iberoamericanas (Meeting of Iberoamerican Independent Bookshops and Publishers) organised by Cálamo Bookshops, FILbo, and Acción Cultural Española AC/E; with the support from the Centro Regional para el Fomento del Libro en América Latina y El Caribe (Regional Centre for the Promotion of Books in Latin America and the Caribbean) and the Gobierno de Aragon (Aragon government). 18 April, 16:30: round table ‘The utilitarian stigmas in children's literature’. Speakers: María Osorio (Babel Libros), María Fernanda Paz Castillo (Cataplum Libros), Vicente Ferrer (Media Vaca), and María Francisca Mayobre (Ekaré Ediciones) as moderator.

23 April. 10:00-20:00. Media Vaca stall in the Plaza de la Reina in Valencia, to celebrate World Book Day (old and new). Organised by the Valencia City Council and the Gremio de Libreros de Lance (Guild of Lance Booksellers) of the Comunitat Valenciana. Menchi and Lara set up, attend to, and dismantle the stall.

7 June. 19:30. Exhibition of the originals by Fabio Zimbres for the book Panamá o las aventuras de mis siete tíos (Panama or The Adventures of My Seven Uncles). In the Per(r)ucho bookshop, pre-party from Tenderete 16.

8 June. 19:00. ‘Mis libros fetiches' ('My fetish books’). Talk by Vicente Ferrer, editor of Media Vaca, about some of his favourite illustrated books. As part of the activities of the 16th Tenderete Festival, held in the library space of Las Naves.

9 June. 11:00-15:00. ‘Dibujando en tapa' ('Drawing on the cover’) drawing workshop by Fabio Zimbres. At Tenderete 16, in the Think Tank in Las Naves. 19:00. Discussion between Fabio Zimbres and Arnal Ballester, author of No tinc paraules (I Have No Words), for the occasion of Media Vaca’s 20th anniversary. At Tenderete, in the library space.

29 June, 4, 10, 17, 24 July. Preparatory workshops for the book Media Vaca Museum by Vicente Ferrer. At the CCCC (Carme Contemporary Culture Centre). As part of the activities offered by Aula d'Estiu, in collaboration with Pinta Valencia. / Workshop on Taro Miura's project ‘Rostros infantiles' ('Children’s Faces’), by Pinta Valencia.

23, 24, 25 August. Participation with a book stand in the Medieval Fair in Rubielos de Mora (Teruel). For the occasion, a 1/2 Vaca booklet is published with the title 'El libro en la Edad Media' ('Books in the Middle Ages').

18 September. Media Vaca is awarded the 2018 National Prize for Best Cultural Publishing Work for "the exquisite care of the catalogue, the quality of its books, and the respect for readers and other agents in the book industry”. The award, which is granted by the Ministry of Culture and Sport, aims to distinguish the publishing work of a person or entity who has made an outstanding and innovative contribution to Spanish culture. The award is honorary, so it does not involve any prize money.

10, 11, 12 October. Trip to Oaxaca, Mexico. The publishers visit three libraries that have the Media Vaca catalogue, accompanied by Freddy Aguilar, director of the BS Children's Library of Oaxaca. The three libraries are the BS Children's Library Parque de las Canteras, the BS Ferrocarril Library and the El Rosario Library in Santa Catarina Minas. In the latter, the publishers enjoy meeting students from the local school, who visit for the first time a place with so many books, and to whom they explain what the publisher's job entails and —briefly— how books are made. (Special thanks to Freddy for joining us, to Nicolás for guiding us, and to Nancy Mariano, Cecilia Fernández, Graciela Ángeles, and the library staff for their hospitality. B and V.)

18, 19, 20 October. Professional meeting of Irudika illustration, at the Artium Museum of Vitoria, organised by Euskal Irudigileak (Professional Association of Illustrators of the Basque Country). Presentation on the ‘Museo Media Vaca' ('Media Vaca Museum’) project, in which illustrators from the previous edition of Irudika take part. The editors of Media Vaca are also members of the jury for the ‘Certámenes Irudika 19’ contest, along with Sergio Lara and Fernando Vázquez, Raisa Álava and Anuska Arbilbi, previous winners of the competition.

23 October. 18:30. In conversation with Peggy Espinosa, editor of Petra Ediciones (Mexico), about illustrated books, the creation of a catalogue, international rights management, institutional tenders, etc. At the Think Tank in Las Naves.

7 November. 19:00. Lecture by Mariana Chiesa, illustrator of the book No hay tiempo para jugar (No Time To Play), about her work and the work created for Media Vaca. Activities for students at the Popular University of Russafa.

15, 19 November. 16:00-20:00. Participation of Grazka Lange, author of the book Warszawa (Warsaw), in the module Experimental Book Project, part of the master's degree in Analogical and Digital Publications, for students of EASD (School of Art and Design).

20 November. 10:30: Presentation of the 2018 Awards for Best Edited Books and Labour of the Booksellers of the Comunitat Valenciana of 2017, organised by the Generalitat Valenciana. The second edition of the book Pelo de zanahoria (Carrot Hair), by Jules Renard and Gabriela Rubio, with translation by Álvaro Abós, receives the award for Best Children’s Book of 2017. At the ceremony, held in San Miguel de los Reyes, Begoña Lobo and Vicente Ferrer receive their diplomas from Vicent Marzà, Minister of Education, Research, Culture and Sport.

20 November. 16:30-19:30. Workshop by Grazka Lange in ESAT (School of Art and Technology) aimed at the students of the Art & Design course.

21 November. 16:30-20:00. Lecture by Grazka Lange aimed at students in ESAT (School of Art and Technology).

27 November. 18:00. Exhibit by Eloar Guazzelli, illustrator of the book El arroyo (The Stream), of his drawing ‘Cidade Nanquim’ and presentation to the audience of the project. In La Pecera (second floor), Project Room of EASD (School of Art and Design). The drawing is showcased for two weeks.

28 November. 16:30-20:00. Lecture by Eloar Guazzelli aimed at ESAT students (School of Art and Technology).

29 November. 19:30. Presentation by the publishing house and reunion with some of Media Vaca’s authors at the Ramon Llull Bookshop. Along with Eloar Guazzelli, speakers include: Miguel Calatayud, author of El mundo al revés (The World Turned Upside Down); Artur Heras, author of Madame Leonarda; Pablo Mestre, designer and contributor to Mis primeras 80 000 palabras (My First 80,000 Words); Josep Salvador, IVAM curator and specialist in Luis Seoane’s work, and Rosa Espiñeira Pan, editor of Figurando Recuerdos Edicións and contributor to the book Retratos furtivos (Furtive Portraits).

30 November. 18:00. ‘¡Socorro! Brasil en la era Bolsonaro' ('Help! Brazil in the Bolsonaro era’) lecture by Eloar Guazzelli Filho on Brazil’s political situation. Presented by Begoña Lobo, editor of Media Vaca and asylum lawyer. In the seminar rooms (third floor) of the cultural centre La Nau. Calle Universitat, no. 2.

December. Panfletos, sermoncillos y brindis al sol (Pamphlets, Sermons and A Toast to the Sun); No tinc paraules (I Have no Words), 2nd. edition; Museo Media Vaca (Media Vaca Museum).

1 December. 11:00. Reading of the book Valencia by its authors, Bartolomé Ferrando and Rafael de Luis, and walk through the historic district of the city. The Ramon Llull Bookshop serves as a departure point; after the tour, return to the bookshop for a speech and a vermouth. Joined by Manuel Flores, illustrator of the books El paseo de Buster Keaton (Buster Keaton Takes a Walk) and Adiós al porvenir (Farewell to the Future).

12, 13 December. Workshops based on the project ‘Rostros infantiles' ('Children's Faces’) by Taro Miura, author of the book Tokyo, at CAR Mislata (Mislata Refugee Reception Centre).

14 – 16 December. Participation in the first edition of the Baba Kamo festival and fair, organised by APIV (Association of Professional Illustrators of Valencia) and FULL (Book and Reading Foundation), at the Centre del Carme Cultura Contemporània (Carme Contemporary Culture Centre) in Valencia. Saturday 16, 19:00-20:30. (Capitular Room): lecture by Begoña Lobo: ‘La ética en la edición' ('Ethics in Publishing’).

18 December. Opening of the exhibition ‘Brindis al sol. 20 años de Media Vaca' ('Toast to the sun. 20 years of Media Vaca’) in Las Naves. In conversation with Arnal Ballester, Carlos Ortin, and Gabriela Rubio, authors of the first three books (No tinc paraules —I Have No Words; Noses—, Narices, buhitos, volcanes y otros poemas ilustrados —Little Owls, Volcanoes and Other Illustrated Poems—, and Pelo de zanahoria —Carrot Hair—), and presentation of the re-edited works. The event ends with a concert by Julio Bustamante and Lavanda.

30 December. 12:00. ‘La ciudad de papel' ('The city of paper’), Taro Miura's workshop for children and adults in the Centre del Carme, Espai D.