About 32 new titles, the annual production of its publishing imprint and a literary forum identify the attendance of the Cuban Writers and Artists Union (UNEAC) at the XXVI International Book Fair.
Olga Marta Pérez, director of Ediciones Unión said to press that Nicolás Guillén, National Poet, and Cuban intellectual Alejo Carpentier are both main figures of the meeting this institution will carry out for the first time during the Fair at Villena hall. The forum includes colloquiums, tributes, boards and books presentations such as Los pasos recobrados, new compilation of texts by Carpentier and El ojo de Alejo, by Graziella Pogolotti, to whom this Cuban Fair edition is dedicated. It will be presented the IV volume of Prosa de prisa by Guillén on Tuesday 19 at La Cabaña. The volume also includes unpublished materials and a studio about Guillén's poetry by Puerto Rican professor Jorge Ruscalleda, who will travel to the island for the occasion.
One of the main attractions will be the collection of titles that won UNEAC 2006 Prize: the Ismaelillo prize (children literature) and the Novel, Social-Historical Essays and Literary categories, the latter deserved by researcher Margarita Mateo. A group of poetry stands out (important genre within the production of Unión) with authors like Albis Torres and personal anthologies of Luis Lorente and Miguel Barnet (National Prize of Literature). Also you could find fiction including, among others, Falsos documentos by Mirta Yañez, and novels Adiós Hemingway and En la cola de la serpiente by popular writer Leonardo Padura, with 20 thousand books as part of the special plan of the Cuban Institute of the Book.
Similar conditions have the titles from that Publishing House that deserved 2007 Critics Prize: Ámbito de Hipermestra (story) by Mercedes Melo; Born in Santa Clara (poetry) by Sigfredo Ariel and Corazón de libélula (children literature) by Nersy Felipe.
Being Galicia the honor guest culture to the XVII Fair, Ediciones Unión prepared El imán de la memoria, book of lectures given by Cuban writer Carlos Martí in that Spanish region and the Poetry Anthology by Adolfo Martí, author from the Island, Galician by birth.

ARTex at 2008 Cuba Book Fair


ARTex offers attractive proposals through Ediciones Cubanas, Comercial Lauros and its branch in Havana, with a stand that will commercialize the different genres of Universal and Cuban literature: novel, short story, poetry, etc., it will also offer self-help books and will have a tent in which children could enjoy story and coloring books among other entertainments as part of a Children Project. At the Bazar de las Artes (Arts Bazaar), it will be offered Cuban and foreign cultural products like the ones from Natural Cuba, Arte en Casa and Compay Segundo, and Cuban music for everyone.

From an article published at Cubarte and other fragments from ARTex Newsletter.

XXIV International Festival Jazz Plaza 2008

El XXIV International Jazz Plaza 2008 will be held from February 14 to 17 and it will be one of the most resonant event of all times, as it was assured by the President of the Organizing Committee, maestro Chucho Valdés. The Festival gathers important figures from different countries like Tania María and Jao Donato from Brazil; Martirio from Spain; Stephen Killon from the United States; Negras Musas, Luis Salinas, Tito Oliva and Tango en tres from Argentina. Over 20 foreigner guests will attend the event and 36 from Cuba: José Luis Cortés with NG La Banda, Bobby and Robertico Carcassés, Elmer Ferrer, Diákara, El Greco, Piloto and Klímax, Jorge Reyes, Mayra Caridad, Maracas, Los Van Van, Roberto Fonseca, Rolando Luna, Ernán López-Nussa, Bellita, Javier Salva, Peruchín Jr., César López, Sexto Sentido and troubadours like Pablo Milanés and William Vivanco.

Chucho will give a concert next to Pablo Milanés at Mella theater on Sunday 17; it will be one of the main attractions. Chucho will also perform with his quartet New Conception. There will be a tribute to deceased Spanish pianist Tete Montoliu at Amadeo Roldán Theater on Saturday 16 at 9:00 PM; his daughter will attend the tribute. We remember that 25 years ago, Tania María made her first visit and in 1983 she gave the event an international cathegory so it becomes International Festival Jazz Plaza. The Brazilian pianist played the piano in the rain and received a great ovation. After the concert she was totally exhausted and had to seat behind the stage. Some visitors will record CDs and make documentaries of their performances, that is the case of Negras Musas from Argentina and Jao Donato from Brazil. The presentations will be held at hall-theater of Fine Arts Museum and the theaters Mella, Karl Marx, Pabellón Cuba, La Comparsita de Varadero, Amadeo Roldan, América and the Cultural House of Plaza which has been refurbished recently for the occasion. It will be held a theoretical colloquium, masterly classes, conversations, showing documentaries, magazines sales, Jam Sessions. The Vice-president is Alexis Vázquez Aguilera and Nieves Candelario is the Executive Director.

Taken from an article by Rafael Lam, Cubarte

Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda: la Tula

I need to tell you that I love you more than any other man I have ever loved and that if fate has commanded not to see you again, I will always have a caring and indelible memory of you.

With such passion wrote to her lover Ignacio de Cepeda, Gertrudis Gómez de Avellaneda, Tula, a woman that pulls the veil of her life off in order we know about it, its varied, impetuous and palpitating work. She was born in Camagüey, Puerto Príncipe at that time, at number 2, Las Carreras street, nowadays 67, Avellaneda Street, on March 23, 1814. She was a premature child, during her childhood she wrote and recited poems; at the age of 16 she traveled to Spain where she spent most of her life, but she never forgot her homeland; the sonnet Al partir exposed her. In foreign lands she strengthened her extensive work and went into lyric, literature and dramatic arts gloriously. From her indomitable pen she communicated desire, sadness, passion, disillusions, women’s soul disturbances through texts like Sab (novel), Oráculo de Talía (comedy), Alfonso Munio (tragedy), La hija de las flores y su Diario de amor (drama) which gathers letters full of a frustrated passion for Ignacio de Cepeda. Just few poetesses from her time ventured so much searching for happiness and knowledge like this criolla did, and Tula flourishes in her people increasing cultural wealth on her 194th anniversary.

Taken from an article by Ariadna Medina Viamontes, Radio Nuevitas, Digital