CONWAY,
Ark. (March 11, 2020) — “The new work of Daína Chaviano is a tribute to the the
universal capacity of human beings to survive and restore their wounds in the
midst of the most adverse circumstances.” —The World Times
Writer Daína
Chaviano will visit Hendrix College as a Murphy Visiting Writer in Spanish
on March 17, 2020. She will read from and discuss her work at 7:30 p.m. in
Reves Recital Hall. This event is free and open
to the public and will be followed by a reception and book signing in
Trieschmann Gallery.
A
Havana native and graduate of Universidad de la Habana, Daína Chaviano is
recognized as the most important author of science fiction and fantasy in Cuban
literature. She is the author of a number of books, including Extraños testimonies, La isla de los amores infinitos (Island of Eternal Love), and El hombre, la hembra y el hambre (Man, Woman, and Hunger). La isla de los amores infinitos has
become the most widely translated Cuban novel of all time, with editions in 25
languages.
Chaviano
has won several awards, both in Cuba and internationally. She has received the
David National Prize for Best SF Book (Cuba), the Gold Medal in Best Spanish
Language Book (Florida Book Awards), the Malinalli National Award for the
Promotion of the Arts, Human Rights and Cultural Diversity (Mexico), and many
others. She established the first science fiction literary workshop in Latin
America and later worked as a screenwriter for television shows for children,
youths, and adults. In addition to being a TV and radio emcee, Chaviano has
acted in some independent films. Since 1991, she has lived in Miami, Florida.
Alongside
her public reading and discussion—which
will be delivered in Spanish with simultaneous translation by Hendrix
students—Chaviano will be visiting Spanish classes and meeting with students.
Her visit will increase awareness of female writers in Spanish working in the
United States and familiarize students with the work and ideas of a prominent
Spanish writer. By engaging with Chaviano, students will have an opportunity to
share thoughts and ask questions about the Cuban exile community and its
literary work while improving their Spanish language comprehension and speaking
skills.
This event is sponsored by the
Hendrix-Murphy Foundation Programs in Literature and Language, which are
designed to enhance and enrich the study and teaching of literature and
language at Hendrix College. For more information about this and future events,
please contact Henryetta Vanaman, 501-450-4597 or vanaman@hendrix.edu.
About Hendrix College
A private liberal
arts college in Conway, Arkansas, Hendrix College consistently earns
recognition as one of the country’s leading liberal arts institutions, and is
featured in Colleges That Change Lives: 40 Schools That Will Change
the Way You Think About Colleges.
Its academic quality and rigor, innovation, and value have established Hendrix
as a fixture in numerous college guides, lists, and rankings. Founded in 1876,
Hendrix has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. To learn
more, visit www.hendrix.edu.