Merida, Yucatan, (January 8, 2022) .- Last Thursday, December 16, the book “The same silence” by Yucatecan writer Adolfo Calderón Sabido was presented, winning work of the State Prize for Short Novel “Times of writing” 2020, having as a venue the Museum of Anthropology and History “Palacio Cantón”.
Among photographs by Olegario Molina and Salvador Alvarado exhibited in the corridors of the emblematic Cantón Palace, the name of Salvador Alvarado and other historical figures resonated with the presentation of this historical novel that revolves around the Alvaradista era, takes up forgotten events, and raises a new perspective to address them.
The comments were made by Mauricio Bares, director of the Nitro-Press publishing house, and the writer Ricardo Guerra de la Torre. The moderation was in charge of Professor Rosely Quijano, head of Literature and Editorial Development of the Ministry of Culture and the Arts.
Ricardo Guerra de la Torre, among other things, pointed out that it was a surprise to find a work like this, since “the greatest challenge of a historical novel is to melt the bronze that keeps the stars of the story hidden. Whether they are heroes, villains, or both, as in this case, the characters that go down in history cease to be human to become institutions.
History dehumanizes them. They are prey to the most tragic invisibility: They are visible to all but hidden under the bronze masks that the history books have built for them. In those cases the only thing that can bring them back to life is fiction.
In his speech, Mauricio Bares, director of the Nitro-Press publishing house, explained that his publishing house is very proud to present “The Same Silence” El Mismo Silencio, as it is a novel that makes it interesting and fun to approach history, especially a character like Salvador Alvarado, whose performance is not as well known as that of other historical actors of the Mexican Revolution.
He also commented that this novel has had great acceptance and this first edition is about to run out. He added that his visit to the Yucatan is to promote “The Same Silence”, but also to open a door to new writers.
For her part, Rosely Quijano, head of Literature and Editorial Development, said that the call for the short novel award “Times of Writing” was opened in 2020 to motivate the creation of writers during the confinement of the pandemic. Likewise, she highly recommended reading “The Same Silence” because it is a novel, which in addition to bringing us closer to the story in an entertaining way, its brevity and structure make it a fascinating novel that you will read in one or two days.
In his speech, Adolfo Calderón Sabido, author of “El Mismo Silencio,” emphasized the creative process that led him to a polyphonic structure in this novel, with the intention that the characters tell their story from their own voice. In the same way, he answered questions from the public that did not wait, generating an exchange of ideas among the attendees.
At the event were present: Mtra. Loreto Villanueva, Secretary of Culture and the Arts of Yucatán; the Mtro. Leonel Escalante Alcocer, Director of Educational Development and Regional Management of SEGEY on behalf of C. Liborio Vidal Aguilar, Secretary of Education of the Government of the State of Yucatán; the Mtro. Enrique Martín Briceño, director of the Yucatán Reading Fair, FIELY and Lic. Josué Morelos, from the José Martí Cultural Center on behalf of Dr. Irving Berlin Villafaña, director of Culture of the Mérida City Council.
“The same silence” can be purchased at the Yucatan Secretariat of Culture and Arts bookstore and all Gandhi bookstores across Mexico.
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