The Las Tunas Provincial Book and Literature Center (CPLL, in Spanish), which in recent months has designed new spaces and is planning to strengthen existing ones, continues to strengthen literary creation, along with its cultural program.
Las Tunas, Cuba.- Among the proposals that have emerged is La eternidad no basta para todos (Eternity is not enough for everyone), which honors deceased writers with an indelible mark. This was the case at the recent meeting dedicated to Juan Manuel Herrera, who is remembered for his folk tales and his work at the head of the project La Monedita del Alma (The Little Coin of the Soul).
According to Maike Machado, the director of the CPLL, work is also being done to strengthen the literary competitions organized under the aegis of the institution. The "Renael González" is one of the new competitions sponsored by this institution, together with the Sanlope publishing house, El Cucalambé Ibero-American House of the Décima, the Municipal Directorate of Culture and the Committee of UNEAC in Puerto Padre.
In this first edition, he informed, the contest is for the décima genre and that Cuban writers can participate with an unpublished book of between 40 and 60 pages, with a free theme, whether or not they are members of UNEAC. The works must be sent, by September 30, 2024, to the following e-mail address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
"We have established digital books and their commercialization as a priority this year so that the reader has access to titles of the territorial publisher. We will also attend to agreements arising from the UNEAC and AHS congresses, and continue to involve the intellectual vanguard in the decision-making processes related to our work. In addition to strengthening links with local universities, promoting areas such as literary research, and consolidating projects in communities," he explained.
According to Machado, they are already immersed in preparations for the province's Book Fair, scheduled for between 20 and 24 March, and working to incorporate the entire literary movement in Las Tunas into the event, beyond the capital city.
The recent reopening of the Pablo Armando Fernández literary promotion center, after several years of being dormant for various reasons, is another of the strengths of literature in the territory. Saimy K. Torres, its director, told 26: "Our social purpose is to publicize the Sanlope catalog (both books and authors), stimulate and attend to the creative processes, everything concerning the work of the publishing house and the programming of activities in the different municipalities. It also includes an Information Center, which brings together research related to literature in the province.”
"The birth of the Casa del Escritor (Writer House) in the municipality of Colombia, with various activities on the agenda, is another of our recent joys. I think we have strengthened the work of the CPLL, renewing staff, strengthening partnerships, and consolidating the functioning of our advisory board, composed of prestigious local writers," Maike added.
The release of new titles will also inject energy into the dreams of our poets and storytellers to be better represented in a prolific land of these expressions. The poetry anthology Countdown, compiled by Armando López Carralero, brings together 17 young multi-award-winners from Las Tunas. This is the way forward. As Pablo Armando said: "I don't believe in chance, I believe in writing."
