The Star's critic MARIA DUARTE recommends an impressive impersonation of Bob Dylan
A bonanza of the best LatinX literature
LEO BOIX selects the best books of fiction, poetry, and non-fiction written by Latinx and Latin American authors published this year
The Star's critic MARIA DUARTE reviews Here, Vermiglio, William Tell and Wolf Man
New releases from Thorpe and Morrison, Daria Kulesh, and Will Finn and Rosie Calvert
RINA ARYA confronts the brutal operation of Francis Bacon’s approach to portraiture
Emphasising his continuous engagement in labour movement struggles, ALISTAIR FINDLAY salutes John Foster’s contribution as activist, strategist, intellectual and defender of the Morning Star
ANDY MIAH advocates the use of AI to assist people by expanding access to global literature and culture
EWAN KOTZ relishes a veteran Glasgow band that have lost none of their verve for live performance
The year 2024 has proven remarkable for Latinx and Latin American fiction, poetry, and non-fiction, featuring an extensive range of literary works that have exceeded all expectations.
Latino Poetry: The Library of America Anthology, edited by Rigoberto Gonzalez (Library of America, £30), is the first to encompass Latinx poetry from colonial to contemporary works. Featuring over 180 poets and an insightful introduction by Gonzalez, this collection showcases diverse voices, themes, languages, and stories. “‘Latino’ is a complex term with no single narrative. This anthology transcends stereotypes, reflecting the richness of Latino poetry,” writes Gonzalez. Highlights include poems by Ernesto Cardenal, Cecilia Vicuna, and Javier Zamora. In Zamora's poignant El Salvador, he expresses: “Tonight, how I wish/ you made it easier to love you, Salvador. Make it easier/ to never have to risk our lives.”
An exceptional anthology.
More from this author
Mexican Yuri Herrera’s novel about Benito Juarez in New Orleans, and poetry by Mexican Fabio Morabito and Argentine Sergio Chejfec
Femicide and the search for justice in Mexico: a book by Cristina Rivera Garza; and a travel book through Latin America by Welsh poet Richard Gwyn
LEO BOIX recommends a refreshing, non-Western and subversive look at what it means to be LGBTQI+ in Morocco
Magic realism by Brazilian Itamar Vieira Junior, nonfiction by Peruvian Gabriela Wiener, and poetry by Chilean Vicente Huidobro and Zapotec poet Victor Teran
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