by the El Reportero’s news services
Ana ClavelMexican writer Ana Clavel was announced Tuesday as the winner of the 6th Elena Poniatowska Ibero-American Novel Prize for her work “Las ninfas a veces sonrien.”
Born in 1961 in Mexico City, Clavel is the author of “Fuera de escena” (1984), “Amorosos de atar” (1992) and “Paraisos tremulos” (2002).
Coming with a cash prize of 500,000 pesos ($38,461), the award will be presented on Wednesday during the inauguration of the 13th Mexico City Book Fair, by capital Mayor Miguel Angel Mancera and municipal Culture Secretary Lucia Garcia Noriega y Nieto.
A panel of judges comprised of Cristina Rivera Garza, Anamari Gomis and Julian Herbert – last year’s recipient – selected Clavel’s novel from among the 94 entries.
The book’s plot allows readers to immerse themselves “in the world of a joyful sexuality, experienced through the senses of Ada, a girl, teenager and later woman, who tells of the discovery and development of her sensuality.”
The storyline tells what happens to Ada but it blends her story with “mythical elements such as nymphs, princesses, satyrs, newts, fairies and other fantastic beings,” the Mexico City government said in a statement.
Established in 2007, the prize was created in honor of acclaimed author, journalist and social activist Elena Poniatowska, a naturalized Mexican who was born on May 19, 1932, in Paris.
International Book Fair opens in Mexico City
With the participation of some 200 publishers and the same number of authors, the 13th International Book Fair opens today in Mexico City’’s Zocalo.
At this cultural festival, running until the 27th, multiple literary activities are planned, including book launches, talks, round tables and conferences, with domestic and foreign writers present.
In the opening ceremony, Mexican storyteller Ana Clavel will be granted this year’s Ibero-American Elena Poniatowska Prize, for her novel “Sometimes, nymphs smile.”
A jury composed of the writers Cristina Rivera, Anamari Gomis and Julian Herbert, prize winner at the previous edition, chose this novel from a group of 94 novels.
This is the sixth edition of this award, instituted by the city government in recognition of the important contribution of Poniatowska to the development of national culture. Among the numerous works of the recognized intellectual are novels, essays, short stories, theater’s works and poetry.
Festival of Mayan Culture begins in Yucatan, Mexico
The Second International Festival of Mayan Culture, with a program of 540 activities, will start today in the city of Mérida and in the municipalities of the Yucatán.
The Festival, lasting until November 3, will offer a sample of that ancestral worldview through artistic and gastronomic events. Activities include baseball games, dances, music, paintings, games, crafts and food from pre- Hispanic times, as well as a demonstration of indigenous medicine.
The objective is to support the preservation of values, identity, traditions and Mayan language, said Jorge Esma Bazán, director of the event. The program is enriched by the participation of artists participating in the Cervantino Festival, taking place in the State of Guanajuato. Honduras and Chiapas are the guests of honor at this edition, which is being attended by representatives from 30 nations.
