September marks the start of National Hispanic Heritage Month! During this month, we celebrate the histories, cultures, and contributions of Hispanics.
Therefore, the Consulate General of Mexico in San Diego has created its first-ever Fiesta del Libro (Book Party) to celebrate Spanish-written books, where you will find surprises for readers of all ages.
The event will be on September 2, 2023, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the consulate’s offices at 1549 India Street.
Event details are still to be published, so meanwhile, here are some Spanish-written book recommendations so you can prepare for the first-ever Fiesta del Libro.
The titles below were initially written by Hispanic authors in their native language.
So here are just a few recommendations of what I believe are some of the most proliferate Spanish-written prose:
Isabel Allende
Isabel Allende was born in Peru to a Chilean family; she started writing as a journalist, which later evolved to writing novels. Allendes works sometimes contain aspects of magical realism, a realistic view of the world with magical additions. Her work pays homage to women’s lives by narrating some of her experiences.
Allende has been inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters since 2004; in 2010, she received Chile’s National Literature Prize, and in 2014, Ex-President Barack Obama awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Some of her most-known novels are:
- The House of Spirits
- Eva Luna
- Inés of My Soul
- Violeta
Gabriel Gárcia Márquez
Gabriel GarcÃa Márquez was a Colombian writer. He’s most famously known for being a significant 20th-century Spanish-written author. Márquez is also known for being a pioneer in popularizing the magical realism movement in Latin America. He was also one of the leading figures of the Latin American Boom in the 1960s and 1970s.
In 1972, he was awarded the Neustadt International Prize in Literature; in 1982, he won the Nobel Prize in Literature.
Examples of his novels are:
- One Hundred Years of Solitude
- Love in the Time of Cholera
- The General in His Labyrinth
- Chronicle of a Death Foretold
Juan Rulfo
Rulfo, born in Mexico, was considered one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. He was known for being realistic, raw, timid, and introverted.
Many of his works focus on the juxtaposition of Christian and Indigenous traditions and how they represent the socioeconomic status of his characters.
Famous novels by Rulfo are:
- Pedro Páramo
- El Llano en Llamas
- El Gallo de Oro
These are just a few of many great Hispanic authors out here. I encourage you to research new and classic novels. And visit events like Fiesta del Libro to connect with our roots.
I love this and hope to attend with my grandaughter, we have a litle free libraary in Chula Vista and we love reading and sharing books with our community