At just 21, Enmanuel Aguilar Reynosa radiates ambition and promise. News of his honorable mention in the Guillermo Vidal National Narrative Contest, awarded for his novel *Quienes se tragan el ruido* (Those Who Swallow the Noise), created a sensation, given the competition's prestige.
The jury, composed of the prestigious writers Emerio Medina, Sergio Cevedo, and Alberto Marrero, recognized in his work "narrative drive, mastery of language, and a clear departure from the well-worn themes and tropes that currently weigh down a portion of national literature." Furthermore, according to the jury's decision, "the author weaves a believable story, at times irreverent, but fundamentally imbued with ethical and philosophical concerns that stem from the plot itself."
This third-year Social Communication student confessed that when he received the call for submissions, the work still had areas to polish, "but the idea was clear: I would approach it as a meta-novel." So, without wasting any time, he put "many personal things, some fears, social issues, and matters that surround us daily" into its pages. He says he didn't expect the result, that many friends helped him revise it, and he feels happy about "the maturation of my own effort."
He told 26: "The book has that name because the protagonist, who is actually me, is writing a novel. The events converge on the idea that it's the one you're reading.
"The characters are people I interact with almost daily; that's why it wasn't so difficult to write it, I just had to capture how they really are. The protagonist tries to resolve his issues between society, his future, and all the things he has to experience daily."
It's the perspective of a young man who wants to write a novel and achieve—so to speak—eternity. The young man with the biblical name exudes affability and nobility, which makes us applaud his achievement even more enthusiastically.
"I participated in the competition, more than anything, to test myself," notes the author, who has also won awards in the Tomasa Varona Contest, sponsored by the cultural center of the same name. In addition to narrative, Aguilar Reynosa cultivates poetry."
"I like dreamlike forms of writing; lyric poetry, epigrams, satire, irony…," adds the member of the El Cucalambé literary workshop at the Tomasa Varona cultural center. He also emphasizes that literature comes to him as a form of catharsis. "You want to vent about the things you experience and feel, and you end up unleashing yourself on a piece of paper, writing almost always in prose." It's also a form of redemption."
Less than two years ago, upon entering the El Cucalambé workshop, he became aware that he could have a path in literature. "From then on, I was able to see the prospect of writing with different eyes. For now, I just want to keep improving, participating in contests, and, someday, of course, be published."
Thus, although the top prize at the "Guillermo Vidal" competition went to fellow Cuban Nelton Pérez Martínez for his novel *El aprendiz* (The Apprentice), Enmanuel set a precedent that speaks of a new talent, not so visible until now amidst the clamor of literary voices that inhabit the Balcony of Eastern Cuba. However, as if swallowing the noise, his potential is now emerging… and how!
