Next Monday, “In the beginning…” by Gustavo Roldán and Laura Roldán (coordinator) will be presented, made up of stories in Spanish, Qom and Wichi. The event will take place at 11 a.m., in the Rossi Hall of the Northeast Cultural Center at Arturo Illia 355 in the city of Resistencia. The book was published by the publishing house of the National University of the Northeast, intended mainly for bilingual teaching in educational establishments in the province of Chaco.
The book contains works by the renowned Chaco children’s literature author Gustavo Roldán, compiled by his daughter, Laura. The illustrations are original works by artist Luciano Acosta. The Qom translations were carried out by David García and the Wichi translations were carried out by Esteban Nolazco. The Santillana publishing house, owner of the rights, gave them free of charge for the completion of this work.
Participating in the presentation will be Professor Jimena Gusberti, specialist in texts for childhood and adolescence at the UNNE Faculty of Humanities, collaborator of the work; together with David García from the Qom community and representative of the Napalpi Foundation, accompanied by authorities from the UNNE and from the field of education in the province of Chaco.
Gusberti points out on the back cover of the work that “the stories, amazing as in the beginning, come to us after walking a magic circle: from the depths of time to the stove and mate talks with Gustavo, from his meticulous listening to the respectful versions that became books, from those Stories that the Indians already told, to the translations that today in the Qom and Wichi language boys and girls from those communities enjoy reading, we believe that both the elders who told them.
Regarding the content specifically, the teacher comments that “we will understand why this everyday world of ours is the bearer of some wonders. We will learn about disobedient rogues, the power of tigers, parallel worlds, the color of stars, and trees full of mystery. When memory starts rolling in three languages, a prodigious game will be able to reinvent life: gifts will be distributed, there will be explanations, excess and laughter will appear. We will be together in the ceremony until it is time to say goodbye, so that, without haste and without pause, it begins again. “
Gustavo and Laura Roldán, family of authors of childhood literature
Gustavo Roldán was an Argentine writer born in 1935 in Sáenz Peña, province of Chaco. He focused his work as director of children’s book collections, he was coordinator of literary writing and reflection workshops, work groups on children’s literature, and workshops and meetings with children in schools and libraries.
He graduated in Modern Literature from the National University of Córdoba. Together with his wife, Laura Devetach, also a children’s book writer, he defended children’s literature as a form of expression in itself, stripped of moralizing intentions.
Roldán was inspired by the landscapes of his childhood and popular mythology. He grew up in the mountains, near the Bermejo River, in Fortín Lavalle, north of the province of Chaco. Although there were no books in that place, there were stories that circulated for generations: stories of Pedro Urdemales, of the bad light, of ghosts, of fear and other folkloric tales. He won several awards, including the First Prize of the International Children’s Story Contest, the Periquillo Prize in Mexico, the Third Prize for Libraries for Literature, and the National Endowment for the Arts Prize. Some of his best-known works include “On Rains and Toads,” “The Mountain Was a Party,” “The Emperor’s Costume,” “History of Pajarito Remendado,” “A Paper Bird,” and “Pedro Urdemales and the Tree.” silver”.
Laura Roldán, Gustavo’s daughter, was born in 1961 in Córdoba. In addition to being an author of literature for children, she is a researcher and is dedicated to collecting couplets, riddles, sayings, and popular and traditional stories. She has coordinated reading and writing workshops for children, young people and teachers in different areas, sponsored by the Book Fair and the National Reading Plan. She also coordinates workshops to promote reading and works with the book as an object, traveling to schools, libraries and Book Fairs in the interior of the country. She was a contributor to the children’s magazines Billiken, Humi, Cordones Sueltos, Fauna Argentina and AZ Diez. Among her writings are numerous adaptations of traditional stories and compilations of texts from oral tradition.
