“The Pacific Ocean defines me because I was born a few meters from it and our entire life has been determined by the way the tides rise and fall,” acknowledged the Colombian writer Velia Vidal, one of the most prominent literary figures in the latest edition. of the Bogotá International Book Fair – Filbo.
In his wholesale grandfather, fishing technologist father, his love for water and the territory in which he grew up, Vidal has found inspiration on the shores of the ocean. “The Pacific is in my work recurrently. My work revolves around the issues that affect and touch us. Of the need to vindicate ourselves. Logically, I do not write my literature based on this or political correctness, but it is a constant when creating,” he warned.
“I decided that I would be a writer in 2016. In 2017 I published ‘Under the Yarumo’ in the briefcase of peaceful stories, then the rest came. Seven years of hard work”, stated the author on social networks.
Once again, and within the framework of FilBo, one of the most important cultural events in the country, Vidal has captivated attendees with the launch of two new works and his active participation in various literary events.
‘Ten moons for a wait’, which was presented on April 21, is a lullaby book considered by the author as “a celebration of motherhood”. This colorful children’s book, with illustrations by artist Natalia Rojas, recreates the territory of the Pacific, its symbols and cultures, while month by month it collects the ten moons during which mothers, fathers and caregivers imagine, dream and prepare for welcome a new member of the family.
“This book has enormous emotional weight and was already included among those highly recommended by Fundalectura, a beautiful recognition for a very dedicated teamwork,” Vidal mentioned through his social networks.
Vidal’s followers wait with intrigue and excitement the launch of his book ‘Cuerpos de agua’, on May 1 within the framework of FilBo. It is the author’s first collection of poems for adults, a work that she did with the help of the Economic Culture Fund.
‘Bodies of water’ is a collection of poems that he began writing two years ago on the shores of the Baltic Sea, in northern Germany.
“I was reflecting on the way we have historically been narrated by Europeans. Quite exotic, usually. I decided that I was not interested in reproducing those forms of narration, but rather I chose to write my view and it became an exploration of the bodies of water that inhabit the human body,” he mentioned.
The 41-year-old author, who has a master’s degree in reading promotion and children’s literature, in addition to being certified in Afro-Latin American studies, has not only been present at Filbo for the launch of her works, she has also participated in conversations such as ‘The Voice of nature in Colombian poetry’.
This was a space in which, in addition to talking with Santiago Espinosa about poetry and nature, poems by Vidal, Laura Andrea Garzón and Tania Ganitsky were readin which the voices of animals, plants and water are present.
“This was a highly anticipated and attended conversation because, without a doubt, Colombian poetry and its relationship with nature is something that affects those of us who love literature and have read it since school,” Vidal concluded.
