Activities for the centenary of Italo Calvino announced
The Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (Uneac), Casa de las Américas, the University of Havana and the Italian Embassy in Cuba, among other institutions, will celebrate the centenary of Italian writer Italo Calvino from October 11 to 15.
In a press conference held at the Villena Hall of Uneac, Roberto Vellano, Italian ambassador to Cuba, said that Cuba has a prominent place in the international schedule of celebrations dedicated to this literary figure.
The president of this institution, Luis Morlote, commented on the role of the organizations linked to this commemoration. He pointed out the relevance of Calvino as a figure and the importance of the prize organized by Uneac in his name. «Cuba is probably the center where there have been more actions on the occasion of this centennial,» he said.
» In these weeks and months, a lot of work has been done to prepare this program and other initiatives that can also be developed in the future,» explained Vellano. Among these actions, the diplomatic representative mentioned the Week of Italian Culture in Cuba, which will take place from November 20 to 27. On this occasion, there will be activities inspired by Calvino.
The researcher, essayist and professor at the University of Havana, Mayerín Bello, referred to the lecture dedicated to Calvino on October 11 at the Faculty of Letters and Arts. Professors Bruno Falcetto, Francesca Caputo and María Cristina Secci, outstanding scholars of the work of the Italian intellectual, will participate. A plaque bearing his name will also be unveiled in the classroom.
The book Calvino, Cuba, l’America Latina by Mayerín Bello and Laura Di Nicola will be presented at the Casa de las Américas on Thursday 12th. Jorge Fornet, director of the Center for Literary Research of the same institution, offered his reflections on the creation of the text. It is the result of the collective work of several specialists on the work of the Italian author.
On the same day, at the headquarters of the Dante Alighieri Association and the Fernando Ortiz Foundation, there will be the inauguration of the exhibition «Calvino qui e altrove» and the signing of the Italo Calvino Literary Park protocol.
Uneac’s Villena Hall will host the exhibition of the Cuban edition of Nuestros antepasados on Friday 13. The director of Ediciones Union, Rigoberto Rodríguez, highlighted the importance of the edition, given its quality and the contributions made to universities and study centers. The exhibition will be open to the public and will be free of charge.
The Italo Calvino Literary Prize will be awarded at the same venue, and the following day, the Sábado del Libro space will receive the novel Chérie by Dazra Novak, winner of the 2021 edition of the prize.
Alberto Marrero, president of the Association of Writers of Uneac, said that «the writers have accepted this prize with pleasure, especially when the quality of all the works published gives prestige to the literary prize.»
On October 14, a tribute will be paid to the Italian intellectual at his birthplace, the headquarters of the Alejandro de Humboldt Institute for Basic Research in Tropical Agriculture (Inifat) in Santiago de Las Vegas. On Sunday, October 15, there will be several activities for children on Avenida Italia (Calles Galiano y Conde Cañongo).
Translated by Luis E. Amador Dominguez
