The presence of the Salvadoran Community in the Washington DC metropolitan area is so strong and significant that Public Libraries have welcomed the literary production of some Salvadorans and have increased their catalogs that offer literature in Spanish to their users. What is missing now is for Salvadorans to visit and ask for these books to generate a positive demand. It's free.
It is known to all that El Salvador is a small country in terms of territory, but intense in its history and in the value of its people: as agents of change through their efforts, work, commitment and above all desire to lead a life in peace. and of prosperity. This collective attitude of Salvadorans has earned it the growing respect of US authorities.
Thanks to the tireless work of the Casa de la Cultura El Salvador, under the direction of Dr. Jeannette Noltenius, it was possible for two important writers from the Central American nation to visit the city and, with a large audience, present their latest books that have been well received. received not only by their country, but also by Latin American literature. They were: Roxana Méndez and Jorge Galán.
Roxana MĂ©ndez is a young writer who has been very clear about her literary vocation and since she was a child she has been cultivating that artistic expression and after several well-deserved triumphs, she has managed to position herself among renowned writers, especially in her production of children's books. Those of us who write know how difficult it is to write for an audience as select and demanding as children and that is why what the writer MĂ©ndez has achieved through her own effort is commendable.
Also traveling from El Salvador was the writer Jorge Galán, whose production is varied, but even of national impact, such as his extraordinary novel "Noviembre", which should be read by every Salvadoran or who is interested in the recent history of El Salvador. But it has also come to specialize in an extremely demanding audience: youth.
Jorge Galán came to present his trilogy for young readers: "The fall of Porthos Embilea" which is the continuation of "The route of the bees: the country of the fog 1" and "The tornado tamer". Do not think that literature for young people is trivial or light. It is the opposite, because it deserves a complete elaboration to signify and specify the literary universe.
Roxana MĂ©ndez, meanwhile, presented her latest book "El Mercado" which is made up of fictions and legends. She has also published "The Mechanical Cat" and "Olivia and the Squeaky Mask." Her books weave together the legends with which we have grown up in El Salvador, but which can also be assimilated by other Central American cultures.
The event at the Public Library of Mount Pleasant and Columbia Heights, in Washington DC, was attended by veteran promoters of Salvadoran literature in the area: the poet and professor Carlos Parada, the founder of the "Altas Horas de la Noche" Literary Collective and poet JosĂ© Vladimir Monge, the Dominican poet SofĂa EstĂ©vez and many more who have been sowing art in the Latino community in the area for years.
And finally, at the end of this note, it was learned that one of our guests in Washington DC, Jorge Galán, managed to win the José Emilio Pacheco City and Nature Literature Award, within the framework of the 36th Guadalajara International Book Fair, and whose award ceremony will be on December 3. This is an important recognition of Salvadoran literary talent and quality.
You are invited to visit the Washington DC Public Libraries and request books in Spanish written by Salvadorans. Enjoy Salvadoran pride, we deserve that and much more.
