Original article: 3° Feria del Libro de El Quisco celebra a Manuel Rojas con literatura, artes y música en el litoral central

3rd El Quisco Book Fair Celebrates Manuel Rojas with Literature, Arts, and Music on the Central Coast

Mayor José Jofré Bustos of the Ilustre Municipalidad de El Quisco, through the Cultural Unit, invites the entire community and visitors from the province to immerse themselves in the 3rd El Quisco Book Fair.

This exciting event will take place at the Camilo Mori Cultural Center on Saturday, October 24, and Sunday, October 25, offering two days dedicated to promoting reading, local identity, and integrated arts, from 11:00 AM to 8:00 PM.

This year, the fair will strongly emphasize its identity by paying tribute to writer Manuel Rojas, who lived in the El Quisco community from 1945 to 1973.

In these lands, he built his house and created a coastal refuge, where he spent long periods with his three children. It is here where he drew inspiration from the sea and the fishing cove to write part of his invaluable work, characterized by a realistic, simple, and honest style, depicting the lives of the humble, the value of solidarity, and the pursuit of human dignity, making him one of the most influential authors in 20th-century Chilean literature. This historical connection is what the fair seeks to revive.

Featured Authors and Guests

The event will gather notable authors from the San Antonio province and the Valparaíso Region, featuring book launches, exhibitions, interactive workshops, theater plays, publishing houses, bookstores, and much more.

At the close of each day, attendees will enjoy performances by renowned national singer-songwriters such as Tata Barahona alongside La Mena and Eduardo Gatti.

«The 3rd El Quisco Book Fair stands out as the perfect opportunity for the community to reconnect with its literary roots and artists. The invitation is open and free to explore and participate in the scheduled activities, discover new readings and keep alive the legacy of the beloved local figure who taught us the value of human connections,» organizers stated.

SCHEDULE

1. Literary Milestones and Central Conversations

• Tribute to Manuel Rojas: On Saturday at 4:00 PM, there will be a central conversation about the life and work of the author, led by his grandson Daniel Muñoz Rojas, representatives of the Manuel Rojas Foundation, and illustrator Cristian Morales, who adapted two of his novels into graphic format.
• Regional Encounter: On Sunday at 1:00 PM, a conversation about the perspectives of the XII Congress Sur, Litoral de Los Poetas, will take place with Mauricio Morales, a representative of the Sur Cultural Movement (MCSUR Chile, El Convento).
• Exhibition by the Manuel Rojas Foundation: “A Dark and Radiant Life,” throughout both days.
• Exhibition: “Encounter at the Sea – Trawün l’avken’mew,” by the Trauken collective.
• Cyanotype Exhibition: “Light and Shadow, the Duality and the Trace,” by youth from the Aldea Raúl Silva Henríquez collective.

2. Book Launches and Writers’ Blocks

• Research and Heritage: Anthropologist Luis Morales Pichunante will present his work Magic Narrative with the storyteller “Indigenous Peoples, an Enigma on the Central Coast” (Saturday, 1:30 PM).
• Launch (Saturday): The book “Let Men Bury Their Homes” by Cuban poet Damaris Calderón will be presented (Saturday, 5:30 PM).
• Launch (Sunday): At 1:30 PM, the book “ITZPAPÁLOTL Obsidian Poetry” by Luna Moreno will be presented, and at 4:00 PM, the poetry collection “Leve” by author Daniela Pinto will be showcased.
• Showcase for Provincial Authors: Through the Society of Chilean Writers (SECH Litoral) and literary blocks, prominent authors from the province will participate: Dinorah Rodríguez García (San Sebastián), Dalia Bascuñán (Algarrobo), Claudia Carvajal Guerra (Cartagena), Alejandro Ayala Polanco (El Quisco), Antonio Duarte Vilches (San Antonio), Óscar Rojas “The Lost Poet” (Cartagena), Atena Rodó (Valparaíso), Matías Morales (Cartagena), Constanza Lara (El Quisco), Sebastián Espinoza (Algarrobo), Rosa Emilia Alcayaga (Valparaíso), Gonzalo Pizarro (Isla Negra), and Alicia Salinas (El Quisco).

3. Activities for Children and Family Theater

• Lambe-Lambe Continuous Theater: During both days (12:00 PM to 3:00 PM), the public can enjoy in miniature format two great works in mysterious boxes: “Fantastic Sighting” by creator Javiera Aguayo Rubio, and “The Myth of Kree and Kreen” by Thamaggi Álvarez.
• School Tribute: On Saturday (11:30 AM) the traditional Children’s Poetry Recital from Pablo Neruda School will take place, a tradition of over 30 years in the community where students recite in honor of the Chilean poet.
• Performing Arts: The company Wayra Teatro will present “Grandma’s Magic Book”, an adaptation of the short story “The Glass of Milk” by Manuel Rojas. On Sunday (11:30 AM), the company Telón de Mil Colores will take the stage with another work inspired by the author, “The Adventure of Mr. Crab.”
• Reading Promotion with Identity: The children’s novel “Juan de las Olas” by author Susan Berroeta Garay will be presented, along with Editorial Pluma y Mente (Sunday, 12:30 PM).
• Magic Narrative with Storytellers by the Vicente Huidobro Museum with “What Do You Have on Your Mind, Vicente?” (Saturday, 3:00 PM) and the Tolkien Society of Chile with its interactive story “The Journey of the Sword Guardian” (Sunday, 3:30 PM).
• Children’s Library: An interactive meeting space for playing and learning organized by the Carlos Condell Municipal Library of El Quisco. (Saturday 11:30 AM-1:30 PM) (Sunday 4:00 PM-6:00 PM)

4. Open Workshops and Creative Spaces

• Children’s Workshop “Shadows that Tell”: (Saturday, 1:00 PM): Led by Verónica Pino, invites children from 5 years old to explore oral narration, silhouettes, and projection with flashlights to live a story created by them.
• Children’s Workshop “Dance and Poetic Games”: (Sunday, 1:00 PM): Led by Simona Lanza, invites children to immerse themselves in a poetic state where imagination and body transform their way of seeing the world.
• Workshop “Embroidered Writing”: (Saturday, 4:30 PM): A space for reflection on textile work as language. Participants will learn basic embroidery stitches to express significant concepts or phrases based on poems, led by María Jesús Gallastegui.
• Workshop “Artisanal Bookbinding”: (Sunday, 4:00 PM): A practical workshop in hardcover format, led by Daniela León.

5. Community Experiences and Artistic Interventions

• Literary Picnic: Writers will participate in a community recitation with musical accompaniment in a public space in El Quisco (next to the Municipality). The green area will be set up with blankets and cushions for an intimate Literary Picnic (Wednesday 21, 1:00 PM).
• Visual Arts: The fair space will feature a live intervention dedicated to the plastic arts under the theme “Painting Poetic/Narrative Landscapes”, creating free works in homage to writer Manuel Rojas.
• Film and Audiovisual: On Saturday at 12:00 PM, the short film “When the Dream is Anticipated” will be screened, followed by an intimate conversation with its director, Pablo Vial. On Sunday, there will be a rotating session of audio storytelling along with images of Manuel Rojas.

6. Prominent Musical Artists

Closing of Saturday (6:30 PM): The stage will light up with the music of Tata Barahona along with La Mena.

Earlier (4:30 PM), they will perform with Peasant Song, Singing to the Poet, and Poetry in Decimas, featuring Magaly Valdivia, Emma Madariaga, and Gemmita Alvarez.

Closing of Sunday (6:00 PM): The fair will conclude with an intimate concert by national singer-songwriter Eduardo Gatti, preceded by a performance from composer Tito Guzmán with his “Sound Landscape”, (5:00 PM).