Who do we trust to tell a story and who are the true witnesses to a reality impossible to understand from just one angle? Featuring Fernanda Melchor, Marcial Gala, and Nona Fernandez, this panel delves into the work of three vibrant new writers from Latin America whose novels provide polyphonic examinations of collective reckoning. Fernanda Melchor’s Hurricane Season, shortlisted for the 2020 International Booker Prize, captures a whirlwind of voices in an exploration of femicide in a rural village in Veracruz, Mexico. Marcial Gala’s The Black Cathedral, meanwhile, relies on a motley crew of murderers, gossips, and ghosts to tell a story of faith and shattered illusions in Cienfuegos, Cuba; while Nona Fernandez’s Space Invaders approaches Pinochet’s Chile through the eyes of schoolchildren only dimly aware of the dictatorship’s shadowy reach. Moderated by author and translator Idra Novey.
This program is part of the International Programming of the Brooklyn Book Festival, made possible with the support of public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and with special appreciation to City Council Member Stephen Levin.
