Magical realism and Latin American literature
St Petersburg University and its Representative Office in Barcelona invite you to the online lecture "Magical realism and Latin American literature". The lecture will focus on the works of Gabriel García Márquez, Jorge Luis Borges, Julio Cortázar, and Pedro Páramo. The lecture will be delivered by Nina Shcherbak, Candidate of Philology.
Among just some of the themes typical for Latin American literature are: the synthesis of different cultures, peoples and beliefs; the interaction and confrontation between South and North America; and the memory of the first European settlements. Dictatorships; upheavals; revolutions; and the abject poverty of some and the fantastic wealth of others. What inspired the writers of this region to create true literary masterpieces?
Magical realism, one of the most striking phenomena of Latin American literature, especially developed in the 1920s. It is characterised by a combination of realist and fantastical elements, giving the impression of a magical reality. In magical realism, events, characters and the world around are often described in unusual, unexpected forms that defy the laws of physics and logic. This movement is often used to: depict cultural and social challenges in Latin America; and express national identity and criticise colonialism.
Like many Latin American writers, Gabriel García Márquez was very interested in preserving his country’s history. He created a foundation which included his personal archive as well as those of other Latin American writers. The disclosure of the García Márquez archive shed light on the relations between the Americas, and the author himself, who had a special role in the countless attempts at reconciliation between the USA and Cuba. Márquez’s magical realism is an upbeat, light and mystery-filled narrative of the fate of entire peoples, through which the motif of destiny and history shines through.
The works of Latin American writers also provide us with other peculiarities of the development of magical realism. Julio Cortázar emphasised the identity of the Spanish-speaking world as opposed to the English-speaking world. Pedro Páramo touched on sacred themes, and Jorge Luis Borges encoded ancient writings in his texts.
Lecturer
Nina Shcherbak is Associate Professor in the Department of English Philology and Cultural Linguistics at St Petersburg University, Master of Arts (the United Kingdom), a writer and screenwriter. She is also a scriptwriter for science television shows, author of fifteen monographs, and books on linguistics, literature, language philosophy, and English literature.
The lecture will be held as part of the events to mark the 300th anniversary of St Petersburg University, the oldest university in Russia.
The meeting will be held online in Russian with simultaneous interpreting into Spanish.