A three-day immersive literary gathering has brought together fiction writers and storytellers from two of Cuba’s most culturally vibrant regions, Havana and Matanzas, for a packed schedule of creative and academic events designed to elevate domestic narrative craft and strengthen connections within the island’s literary community. Organized around core themes of memory, creative expression, and the enduring power of Cuban storytelling, the festival covers a diverse range of activities, from in-depth theoretical discussions and public readings to hands-on narrative technique workshops, new book launches, and open forums for critical reflection.
The festival kicked off its opening session at Havana’s Casa de las Letras Digdora Alonso, the home of publishing house Ediciones Matanzas, with an opening panel discussion titled “Voy a escribir la eternidad” (I’m Going to Write Eternity). According to official announcements shared via social media by Cuba’s cultural ministry, the panel featured prominent Cuban writers Dazra Novak, Karla Flores, Ulises Rodriguez Febles, and Norge Cespedes, and was moderated by academic and cultural figure Maylan Alvarez.
On the first day’s afternoon schedule, a showcase of emerging narrative talent is set to take place at Casa de la Memoria Escenica, where a new generation of young storytellers including Nathaly Hernandez Chavez, Raul Piad, and Luis Enrique Mirambert will present their original work to audiences. Over at Gener y del Monte Public Library, attendees will have access to a curated special sale of Cuban narrative fiction, paired with live musical performances by students from the local Sachariana music school.
Additional planned programming includes the Pena del Maiz Regado, a community gathering that will feature dedicated readings for children and adolescent audiences, alongside the hands-on narrative technique workshop “La Buena Pipa”. Both events will be hosted at the Matanzas chapter headquarters of the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba, one of the festival’s lead institutional partners.
The closing event on the festival’s final Friday will be held at the historic Ernesto Triolet Pharmaceutical Museum. The evening will open with a collective group reading of the celebrated Cuban work *Dorado Mundo* (Golden World), followed by the official awards ceremony for the annual short story competition “El Que Va Con la Luz”. Celebrated Cuban pianist Elvira Santiago will also deliver a special live performance to cap off the three-day event.
Organized and supported by a coalition of leading Cuban cultural and educational institutions, including the Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba, Gener y del Monte Public Library, Aldabin Publishing House, and the Ernesto Triolet Pharmaceutical Museum, the festival positions itself as a unique collaborative space that bridges creative practice, collective memory, and literary innovation. At its core, the gathering works to advance the preservation and growth of Cuban literature and amplify its ongoing cultural impact across the island and beyond.