Guillermo Edmundo Chaves García, writer from Nariño
Photo: Courtesy Ana Patricia Chaves
The literary legacy of Guillermo Edmundo Chaves García, poet, novelist and jurist from Nariño (1903-1984), is once again relevant with the relaunch of his flagship work “Chambú”. Born in Pasto on May 19, 1903, Chaves left his contribution to Nariño and Colombian literature almost a century ago.
Considered one of the most prominent writers of Nariño, his novel “Chambú” marked a new front in Colombian literature since its publication in 1946, edited by the Caldense writer Adel López. This novel stands out mainly for its synthesis of the author’s appreciation of the Andean landscape and his ability to describe the emotions of his characters from a poetic perspective. Chaves presents, among his pages, his admiration for the southern land in which he grew up and traveled, so he was able to learn about the social problems of his time, which today are read as a historical record.
The novel is a poetic and emotional journey through the landscape and culture of Nariño. Set in an environment of colonial Pasto, the story focuses on the beauty of a miller, the dangers of the Andean mountain range and the anguish inherent to the human condition. He explores from his experience the construction of the highway between the capital of Nariño and the Pacific coast, in Tumaco.
Since its publication in 1946, this work has been republished several times, standing out for its poetry and its exploration of the customs of the Nariño people and their environment.
Five essays about Chambú
Photo: Courtesy Ana Patricia Chaves
Professor Joseph Vélez of Baylor University, in Texas, United States, analyzes in “Five Essays on Chambú” the richness of this work, describing it as a novel of love, social protest and New Worldism. Vélez highlights his poetic tone, impregnated with images that criticize social evils while expressing hope for a better future.
The work also inspired a song and a film of the same name. In 1962, under the direction of the Spanish Alejandro Kerk, it was filmed in 35 mm in black and white, with a duration of 110 minutes. But in the process of taking them back to Spain to process the photosensitive material, they were lost and the film was never officially presented in Colombia. After 50 years, some fragments were rescued and are cared for at the Colombian Film Heritage Foundation.
However, the author’s family, aware of the importance of his work for culture, has constantly worked for its reissue. Thanks to the Quilcay Foundation, under the direction of Mariela Guerrero Velez, and the support of the Government of Nariño, within the framework of the 2023 Literature Season, tribute was paid to the writer with various cultural activities.
On the 40th anniversary of his departure in 2024, the printed publication of “Chambú” was launched, intended for all departmental libraries, to ensure that this masterpiece reaches the hands of new generations, thus ensuring its significance over time.
