Mariana Enriquez and Samanta Schweblin
Writers such as Gabriel García Márquez and Isabel Allende brought magical realism to European readers. A new generation of Latin American writers are also breaking with realism, but in a very different way: Their writing is darker, drawing on gothic and horror literature. Two of the most prominent voices of this generation are the Argentinian writers Mariana Enríquez and Samanta Schweblin. Their absurd and dystopian stories may be read as metaphors for historical and present day’s Argentina.
Due to her critically acclaimed short stories and novels, Enríquez has been dubbed the “Master of the macabre”. Her short story collection Things We Lost in The Fire was published in both English and Norwegian translations in 2017. The collection The Dangers of Smoking in Bed (English trans. 2021) was shortlisted for the prestigious International Booker Prize.
Schweblin has won numerous awards for her innovative and absurd literature. Her novel Fever Dream (translated into English and Norwegian in 2017) has also been adapted into a film by Netflix. Now her collection Siete casas vacías (“Seven Empty Houses”) is out in Norwegian; seven stories exploring the human psyche and our relationships to each other.
Ane Farsethås, cultural editor of Morgenbladet and one of Norway’s most prominent critics, will lead the conversation.
The conversation will be in English, and have a duration of 2 hours including a break.
Litteraturhuset Wergeland Forfattersamtale English https://litteraturhuset.ticketco.events/no/nb/e/noe_raattent_i_argentina_mariana_enriquez_og_samanta_schweblin